IBD Scholarship

Application Information

2024 AbbVie IBD Scholarship Application

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada will award fifteen (15) students, living with Crohn’s and colitis, a one-time scholarship of $5,000 CAD through the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program. Supported by an educational grant from AbbVie, these scholarships are available to students of any age, living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis who are enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary educational institution in the fall semester of 2024.  

Eligibility Requirements

The AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program is a competitive program. Application for the program does not guarantee funding for the upcoming educational year.

Applicants of any age are encouraged to apply. All applicants must be:

• A legal and permanent resident of Canada

• Diagnosed by a health care professional with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis

• Enrolled in or awaiting acceptance from a Canadian-based post-secondary educational institution for the fall semester of 2024

• Demonstrating academic aspiration and strives to sustain an optimal level of wellness while living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis; allowing them to excel in reaching personal and academic goals and inspiring others to do the same

Selection Process & Scholarship Disbursement

Selection of recipients will be at the sole discretion of an independent selection committee of leading gastroenterologists, community partners and patient representatives from across Canada. Applications will be assessed based on two (2) letters of personal recommendation and a one (1) page essay (500-word max.), outlined in the selection criteria. 

Recipients of the scholarship award will be notified during the spring/summer of 2024 via a personal telephone call and a confirmation letter. Applicants who are not selected will be notified by email.

After a recipient’s educational enrolment has been verified for the fall 2024 semester, the scholarship cheque will be made payable to and directly mailed to the educational institution. Individual scholarship amounts will be awarded $5,000 CAN to cover the recipient’s tuition and/or required educational materials (if a student does not have a minimum of $5,000 CAN in tuition and required educational materials, the scholarship amount will only cover the actual cost of tuition and/or required materials). Eligible educational expenses for the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program include tuition, student fees, required educational materials and on-site residency.

Application Dates

Applications for 2024 will open on February 15, 2023. The application deadline is extended to July 4, 2024 at 11:59 pm (local time).

Application Process

Incomplete applications will not be accepted. In order to submit your application online, you must be able to scan and upload your supporting documents (total document file size must not exceed 20 MB), including:

• A signed Proof of Diagnosis form;

• A completed Applicant Consent form (must be signed by a parent or legal guardian if applicant is less than 18 years of age at the time of application submission);

• Two (2) letters of personal recommendation from a mentor, teacher, guidance counsellor, coach, professional colleague, or employer; and

• A one (1) page essay (500-word max.) outlining how you demonstrate your academic aspiration and strive to sustain an optimal level of wellness while living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, allowing you to excel in reaching your personal and academic goals and inspiring others to do the same. You may want to incorporate why you strive for academic success, how you strive to sustain an optimal level of wellness, your personal and academic goals, how you inspire others through community and school involvement, and how you would benefit from the scholarship.

PLEASE NOTE: You must submit your application online using the web form; this includes uploading all required documentation. You cannot save your application and return to it in the future; therefore, the application must be completed and submitted in one sitting. If you exit the form before submitting your information, your work will NOT be saved.  All fields marked with a red * must be completed.

Please ensure you have all supporting documents scanned and ready to upload before beginning your application. Failure to complete all sections of the application form and/or to upload the mandatory supporting documents will result in the automatic disqualification of your application.