The W. Garfield Weston Foundation joined The Canadian Merit Scholarship Foundation as a premier sponsor of their university scholarship program in 1997. Just two years later the Garfield Weston Awards for outstanding college students were established creating Canada's most prestigious scholarships for college-bound students.

The Garfield Weston Award program is based on values beyond those visible on a transcript: character, entrepreneurial energy and service to the community.  Those values were important to Garfield Weston and remain important to the Trustees of the Foundation today.

After watching the program develop for six years, it became evident that an important group of potential candidates was not being reached. In 2005 the Upper-Year Awards were introduced to recognize the many talented students already enrolled in colleges across Canada.

Today there are two types of Garfield Weston Awards: one for new college entrants and another for those already enrolled. Award winners get a tuition waiver from the college they attend, a grant of $8,000 towards their living expenses, as well as access to a mentorship program, summer funding and a leadership conference in Toronto.

The Foundation is grateful to the more than 100 participating colleges who show tremendous collaborative leadership in supporting talented college students across Canada. Institutions from across Canada are members of the consortium.

Today the Foundation is the leader in recognizing and rewarding the talent in the college student population. Meet some of our past Garfield Weston Award recipients.

Learn more about the Foundation’s support for education programs.