IBD Scholarship

The AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program, brought to you by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, directly supports individual students in overcoming education barriers due to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Through an unrestricted educational grant by AbbVie, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada will award fifteen (15) one-time scholarships of $5,000 CAN to students living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis who are entering into or currently attending a post-secondary educational institution. Students of all ages are welcome to apply and the scholarship can be used for any Canadian post-secondary institution.

The AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program is a competitive bursary. Applying 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 with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis by a health care professional
• Enrolled in or awaiting acceptance from a Canadian-based post-secondary educational institution for the fall semester of 2024
• A student who demonstrates academic aspiration and strives to sustain an optimal level of wellness in spite of their Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, allowing them to excel to reach their personal and academic goals and inspiring others to do the same.

• *Past AbbVie IBD Scholarship recipients are NOT eligible to apply for future scholarships

Yes. The scholarship is available to anyone who is entering post-secondary education in fall 2024 or who are currently enrolled in a post-secondary institution.

Yes. The scholarship is available for full or part-time studies at a Canadian-based post-secondary educational institution.

No. The scholarship funds can only be used at a Canadian institution.

Applications for the 2024 scholarship will open on February 15. 

Click here to be directed to the AbbVie IBD Scholarship application form.

Applications for 2024 must be submitted online using the webform; no mailed in, e-mailed or faxed applications will be accepted. Please ensure you have all supporting documents scanned and ready to upload before beginning your application. In order to prepare your application materials, it is recommended that applicants print a blank copy of the application form and supporting documents in order to review and prepare the required information and documentation which must be uploaded.
 

Fifteen (15) one-time scholarships of $5,000 CAN will be awarded in 2024.

The deadline is extended to July 4, 2024 at 11:59 pm (local time). Applications must be completed online and submitted by the deadline. The online application process may take between 30-60 minutes to complete, so please ensure you allow enough time to complete your application.

To be fair to all participants, applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. The deadline to apply is extended to July 4, 2024 by 11:59 pm. Please ensure you allow sufficient time to complete and submit your application. 

All fifteen (15) scholarship amounts will be $5,000 CAN.

Individual scholarship amounts will be awarded $5,000 CAN to cover the recipient’s tuition and/or required educational materials. If a student’s tuition and required educational materials are less than $5,000 CAN, the scholarship amount will only cover the actual cost of tuition and/or required educational materials. Eligible educational expenses for the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program include; tuition, student fees, required educational materials and on-site residency.

Eligible educational expenses for the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program include; tuition, student fees, required educational materials and on-site residency.

Applications must be submitted online. It is recommended that you download a copy of the application in advance in order to review and prepare the required information.

Please also prepare the following items in advance:
1. A fully completed and signed copy of the Proof of Diagnosis Form, scanned and ready to upload. This form must be completed by a health care professional who can confirm your diagnosis of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
2. A signed and dated Applicant Consent Form, scanned and ready to upload
3.  Two (2) letters of personal recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, school official, coach, mentor, health care provider, professional colleague or employer, scanned and ready to upload.
4. A one (1) page essay (500 word max) describing your commitment to achieving your best health despite your diagnosis, and how you have inspired those around you to do the same in the face of their challenges. Please have your essay ready in a format that can be uploaded to the webform (e.g. Word or PDF).

PLEASE NOTE that the file size for all of the above documents combined must not exceed 20MB. Please check the file size of your documents in advance to ensure you will not exceed this limit. Please also ensure you complete all required sections (marked with an *).
 

The AbbVie IBD Scholarship is a competitive bursary. Fifteen (15) scholarships will be awarded in 2024.

As part of the application process, applicants are required to have their physician health care professional verify their condition in writing, by completing the Proof of Diagnosis Form. We will follow up with individual health care professionals as needed to confirm the diagnosis. 

Scholarship recipients will be notified in the summer of 2024. All recipents will receive a phone call and a confirmation letter by email. 

Applicants who were not selected will recieve an email in the summer of 2024.

An independent selection committee of leading gastroenterologists, community partners and patient representatives from across Canada will select the scholarship recipients. Applications will be assessed based on two (2) letters of personal recommendation and a one (1) page essay describing your commitment to achieving your best health in spite of your diagnosis, and how you have inspired those around you to do the same in the face of their challenges.

The program is a partnership between Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and AbbVie, building on their shared interest in ensuring people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis achieve their best potential in all facets of their lives. For more information about Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, please click here. For more information about AbbVie, please click here. 

Please contact  info@ibdscholarship.ca