3. About this policy
3.1 Notes on terminology
For the purposes of this policy, “scholarships, bursaries, and other awards” refers to any form of support, monetary or in kind, offered to individuals for the purpose of educational, cultural, athletic, research, or career advancement. This includes, but is not limited to:
- scholarships,
- bursaries,
- awards,
- grants,
- student loan-forgiveness programs (also known as debt reduction or relief programs), and
- academic stipends.
A broad range of organizations may create and grant scholarships, bursaries, and other awards. This includes, among others:
- educational institutions,
- artistic institutions,
- community organizations,
- religious organizations,
- employers,
- municipalities, and
- the Ontario government.
3.2 Scope of this policy
Targeted scholarships, bursaries, and other awards are only permissible where they advance substantive equality, or serve another valid purpose recognized under the Code.
This OHRC policy provides information on the Code exceptions that permit targeted scholarships, bursaries, and other awards. The information contained in this policy also applies where criteria for unrestricted scholarships, bursaries, and other awards indicate that preference will be given to individuals who identify with one or more Code grounds.
The information contained in this policy applies to public or private organizations. It also applies to trusts that make funds available to the public and to other entities that may be required to act on the instructions or directions of a third party (such as a trust settlor or other benefactor).
All stages of developing and implementing scholarships, bursaries, and other awards are covered by this policy, notably:
- creating,
- developing,
- identifying criteria,
- funding,
- promoting,
- facilitating access to,
- reviewing applications,
- granting, and
- evaluating.
Lastly, although this policy discusses scholarships, bursaries, and other awards as services, they are sometimes also offered as employment-related benefits. In such cases, the principles outlined in this policy may still apply, but employment-related Code protections and exceptions would as well. This policy does not explore the area of employment in detail, but more information is available in the OHRC’s Human Rights at Work.8
The OHRC encourages targeted scholarships, bursaries, and other awards where they can help address discrimination and improve equal access to services for disadvantaged groups identified by one or more Code grounds.