The Adam Mickiewicz Foundation of Canada, established in 1956, is the oldest Polish foundation in the country. Every year, with little public attention beyond the Toronto Polish community, it distributes approximately $50,000 CAD across more than fifty bursaries.
Fifty individual awards, annually, from a single foundation. The Mickiewicz Foundation alone distributes more awards each year than most Polish-Canadian students know exist across the entire landscape. And it is one of more than a dozen organisations funding Polish-heritage students in Canada. The Canadian Polish Millennium Fund administers nine distinct named awards. The Maria Sava scholarship in Alberta is funded by the provincial government. The University of Toronto's Slavic department holds nine Polish-specific awards, including a $5,000 fellowship that requires Polish citizenship.
This guide catalogues more than thirty programmes: national foundations, Alberta-specific awards, Quebec bursaries, scouting grants, University of Toronto endowments, and a law scholarship established in 2025. Amounts, eligibility, deadlines, and direct application links. For those also open to studying in Poland, the Polish government's NAWA programmes provide full-degree funding for Canadian students of Polish descent. Our Complete Guide to Polish Heritage Scholarships covers these alongside USA and UK options.
Deadlines and amounts change annually. Verify directly with each organization.
TL;DR: The Polish-Canadian scholarship landscape is smaller than the US but better organized than most students expect, concentrated in Ontario (Mickiewicz, Reymont, CPMF, U of T) and Alberta (Maria Sava, Hedinger, Walter K. Mis Law). Individual awards typically run $500–$3,000 CAD, but stack reasonably well. Application materials overlap enough that submitting to several costs only a few extra hours. The CPMF General Grant and Mickiewicz Foundation are the easiest entry points for any Polish-Canadian student with a completed first year. Most national programs deadline in mid-September.
Adam Mickiewicz Foundation
Founded 1956. Oldest Polish foundation in Canada. The number that matters: ~$50,000 CAD across 50+ bursaries annually.
That volume is unusual. This isn't a single competitive award where hundreds of people compete for one spot. It's 50+ awards funded each cycle. For a Polish-descent student at a Canadian university with a completed first year and reasonable grades, this should be the first application you prepare.
- Deadline: September 15
- Apply: Forms at kpk-toronto.org
- Contact: fundmickiewicz@gmail.com
W. Reymont Foundation
Established by the Polish Alliance of Canada. Notable detail: the same student can win up to three times over their academic career.
- Award: Varies (~$500–$1,000+ historically). Bursaries also available for financial hardship.
- Deadline: Late September
- Eligibility: Polish descent, Canadian citizen or PR, completed first year. Evidence of Polish community involvement. Must attend the scholarship ceremony in Toronto in person.
- Apply: reymont.ca (online application; transcripts mailed separately)
The in-person ceremony requirement is worth noting in advance. If you're at a university outside the Toronto area, plan logistics accordingly.
Canadian Polish Millennium Fund (CPMF)
Founded 1964. The CPMF awards student grants every October and administers nine named awards, each with its own eligibility, its own backstory, and its own deadline.
All applications are mail-only. No email, no online portal. Forms at millenniumfund.ca.
CPMF Awards
Nine named awards — each with distinct eligibility and its own deadline. All applications by mail only.
| Award | Deadline | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
| General Student Grant | September 15 | Polish descent, completed first year at a Canadian post-secondary institution |
| Dr. S. J. Biskupski Grant | September 15 | Canadian residents of Polish descent studying the Polish language in Poland. Not "about" Poland — physically in Poland, learning the language. |
| Pomnik Pamięci Grant | September 15 | Primarily for Polish history students at U of T. Funded by Bronisława Stanisławska in memory of her sons Wojtek and Witek, murdered at Auschwitz. |
| Col. Orliński Pilot Scholarship | April 15 | Polish-descent students in professional pilot training. Named after the aviator who completed the first Warsaw-to-Tokyo flight in 1926. |
| Zbigniew Czapliński Award | September 15 | Exclusively for descendants of Armia Krajowa (Home Army) members. Documentation of AK ancestry required. |
| M. and J. Stitski Grant | September 15 | ZHP (Polish Scouting) members, second year+. Must be nominated by your District Commissioner. |
| Barbara Glogowska Grant | September 15 | Female ZHP members, second year+ |
| Oscar Wojtal Leadership Award | September 15 | ZHP members with demonstrated leadership |
| Sandig Award | September 15 | Female ZHP Girl Scout members with leadership and mentorship skills |
Contact: 416-532-1921 | cpmf@millenniumfund.ca
Polish Heritage Foundation of Canada (PHF)
Ottawa-based. Established 1993. The PHF awards multiple named scholarships each year, funded entirely from private donations.
In 2025, six scholarships were awarded to students at universities across the country: the University of Ottawa, Carleton, McMaster, Western Ontario, Waterloo, and Dalhousie. Recipients study fields ranging from biochemistry and neuroscience to chemical engineering and pre-law.
Eligibility: University students of Polish descent, completed 1+ year, registered full-time.
Scholarships currently awarded:
- Jerzy Jarmasz Scholarship — the primary PHF award, running since 2002
- Dr. Irena Michalska Scholarship
- Stanisław Kielar Scholarship
- Polish Canadian Women's Federation, Branch #8 in Ottawa Scholarship
- Polish Combatants' Association, Branch #18 in Calgary Scholarship
- Polish Combatants' Association, Branch #6 in Edmonton Scholarship
- Association of Polish Engineers–Ottawa Scholarship
- I. Paderewski Choir Scholarship
- W. Rogozinski Scholarship
- PHF General Scholarship
Contact: fundacja.phf@gmail.com | phfweb.ca/scholarships
Alberta — unexpectedly strong
Three programs. One government-funded. One brand new. Alberta has the strongest provincial Polish-heritage scholarship infrastructure in Canada — not what most students would predict.
Maria Sava Polish Heritage Scholarship
$1,000 CAD × 5 | August 1 – October 31
Government-funded through the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund. Administered by Alberta Student Aid. Named after Maria Sava, who spent more than 20 years building Edmonton's Polish bilingual program at Jan Paweł II School.
The eligibility is specific: you must have completed Grades 7, 8, and 9 at Jan Paweł II Polish Bilingual School and graduated in the current academic year. If that's your background, the applicant pool is very small. Apply.
Hedinger Family Scholarship
$2,000 CAD × 3 | November 1
3rd or 4th year undergrads at U of A or U of C. Polish descent or Polish community involvement. Canadian citizen or PR. Created in memory of Jerzy, Zofia, Kasia, and Adam Hedinger.
Contact: polonia.foundation@outlook.com
Walter K. Mis Law Scholarship
$3,000 CAD | November 1
New in 2025. 2nd or 3rd year JD students at U of A or U of C law schools. The highest-value single award in Alberta's Polish landscape. Named after Walter K. Mis: Edmonton lawyer, U of A law professor, longtime president of the Polonia Foundation.
Contact: polonia.foundation@outlook.com
Other provincial and regional awards
Canadian Polish Academic Society (Concordia University of Edmonton)
$1,000 CAD | January 15
CUE undergrads only. All fields. concordia.ab.ca/scholarships
Lisowski-Smykowski Fund (Montreal)
Amount not specified | Deadline not yet published for 2026 (previously July 30)
The main Quebec-specific Polish heritage scholarship we identified. For college or university students of Polish descent in the province.
biurokpdp@gmail.com | kpdp.ca
SPK Branch Scholarships
Calgary (Branch #18) and Edmonton (Branch #6), each ~$1,500 CAD. Administered through the PHF.
University of Toronto — nine Polish-specific awards
The U of T Slavic department holds one of the deepest concentrations of Polish studies funding at any Canadian university. Most students outside the department have no idea these exist.
University of Toronto — Polish studies awards
Nine awards in the U of T Slavic department. Contact: slavic@utoronto.ca
| Award | Amount | Who it's for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bazylewicz Fellowships | Up to $5,000 CAD | Graduate (Polish citizenship required, including dual citizens) | Largest award in this cluster |
| Polonicum Study Abroad | Tuition + lodging + meals | 2 undergrad + 1 grad | 4 weeks at University of Warsaw; deadline end of April |
| Turzański Foundation | Not specified | PhD in Polish Studies | Doctoral level only |
| Jankowski Scholarship | Not specified | 2nd/3rd year undergrad | Polish Studies majors |
| Consulate General Award | Not specified | Best Polish culture project | Annual award within academic year |
| Polish-Canadian Hall Award | Not specified | Polish language & literature students | Undergrad or graduate |
| Wilk and Bogdan Award | Not specified | Polish language students | From estate of Aniela Anderson |
| Markowicz Award | Not specified | Polish language & literature | Undergraduate level |
A note on the Bazylewicz Fellowship: the Polish citizenship requirement is unusual and worth flagging. Dual citizens qualify, but applicants without Polish citizenship don't. If you're eligible for Polish citizenship by descent but haven't confirmed it yet, this is one of the more concrete reasons it might be worth pursuing. The same documentation work serves both purposes.
Poland Business Adventure
Not a scholarship, but worth knowing about. A 3-month professional placement in Poland (salary plus accommodation) for diaspora members aged 18–35. Run by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Multiple Canadians have participated in past cohorts. Deadline: approximately April.
NAWA — study in Poland on the Polish government's tab
Full details in our pillar guide. The highlights for Canadians:
- Gen. Anders — Full degree (Bachelor's or Master's) in Poland. Monthly stipend + zero tuition. Karta Polaka required. Deadline: May–July 2026.
- Poland My First Choice — Full Master's in Poland. Open to any Canadian citizen, no heritage required. English-taught options available. Deadline: April–June.
- Polonista — For Polish studies scholars. No heritage requirement.
- Thesaurus Poloniae — 3-month research residency in Kraków for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers.
For students in provinces with limited domestic Polish-heritage scholarship infrastructure, NAWA is often the strongest funding pathway available. The programmes are open regardless of where in Canada you live.
Where the gaps are
We found no province-specific Polish heritage scholarship in Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, or the Maritimes. If you're in one of these provinces, don't be discouraged. The national foundations all accept applications from anywhere in Canada. CPMF, Reymont, Mickiewicz, and PHF are your best starting points.
It's also worth contacting your local KPK branch, Polish community centre, or Polish parish directly. Informal bursaries sometimes exist with zero online presence, and a phone call can uncover support that no amount of Googling will find.
Your Polish heritage — beyond scholarships
Scholarships are a practical way to put your Polish heritage to work. They're not the only one.
If you're documenting your ancestry for a scholarship application, you may discover that you're eligible for more than financial aid. Many people who approach us for ancestry documentation end up confirming Polish citizenship they didn't know they had. Under Polish law, citizenship passes through generations without a time limit. That means your parent's or grandparent's Polish citizenship may already be yours, regardless of how many generations back the line goes, provided it was never formally renounced.
A Polish passport is also an EU passport. That opens doors to EU residency and work rights across the 27 member states plus Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland. It also unlocks European university tuition rates that are often a fraction of Canadian costs. At some public universities in Germany, Czechia, and several other EU countries, tuition is effectively zero.
The documents you gather for a scholarship application (birth certificates, baptismal records, family history) are often the same documents needed to start a Polish citizenship confirmation case.
If you want to find out whether your family history supports a citizenship case, we offer a free assessment — a starter review with an honest read on whether a case is strong, borderline, or unlikely before you invest in full document-gathering. No obligation; we're happy to point you in the right direction.
Key takeaways:
- Mickiewicz Foundation distributes the largest volume of awards in Canada (~50 bursaries annually); start here if you're a Polish-descent student with a completed first year
- CPMF runs 9 distinct named awards, including very specific ones (AK descendants, ZHP members, pilot training, Polish history at U of T)
- Alberta has the strongest provincial infrastructure outside Ontario; Maria Sava, Hedinger, and Walter K. Mis Law together cover everything from high school graduates through law students
- U of T's Slavic department holds 9 Polish-specific awards that most students outside the department never hear about
- Most national programs deadline in mid-September; Alberta programs deadline in November
- Manitoba, BC, Saskatchewan, and the Maritimes have no province-specific Polish heritage awards identified; national foundations accept applications from anywhere in Canada
- Application materials overlap heavily across programs. Once you've assembled one strong package, submitting to four or five takes only a few extra hours
Your ancestry may carry more than a scholarship
The documents you're gathering for a scholarship application — birth certificates, baptismal records, family history — are often the same ones needed to confirm Polish citizenship. Polish citizenship is EU citizenship: residency and work rights across 27 member states, and European university tuition rates. Our free assessment is a no-obligation starter review of what your family history actually shows.
Take the free assessmentFrequently asked questions
Do I need Canadian citizenship?
Most programs require citizenship or permanent residency: CPMF, Reymont, Mickiewicz, PHF, and the Alberta scholarships all have this requirement. If you're an international student at a Canadian university, these community-based awards generally won't be available to you. NAWA programmes are open globally, so if studying in Poland appeals to you, that path remains open regardless of your Canadian status.
How do I prove Polish descent?
A grandparent's Polish birth certificate is the gold standard, but it's not the only way. Immigration records, a Karta Polaka, baptismal records from a Polish parish, or a family letter all work depending on the programme. Most organizations aren't asking for notarized genealogical research; they want reasonable proof that your family is Polish. If you're unsure what you have or where to start, we can help with that.
Anything specifically for Quebec students?
The Lisowski-Smykowski Fund in Montreal is the most directly relevant. All national programs (CPMF, Reymont, Mickiewicz, PHF) also accept Quebec applicants. Contact KPDP Montreal at biurokpdp@gmail.com for details on the Lisowski-Smykowski Fund.
Can I combine multiple scholarships?
Usually, yes — and given that individual amounts run $500–$1,500, combining awards is often the strategy that adds up to something meaningful. There's typically no prohibition on receiving funding from multiple organizations in the same year. The application materials overlap heavily, so once you've put together one strong package, submitting to four or five programs adds just a few hours of work.
What about graduate students?
Graduate students have meaningful options, particularly through CPMF, the Bazylewicz Fellowships at U of T (up to $5,000 for those with Polish citizenship), the Turzański Foundation for PhD students in Polish Studies, and PHF. NAWA's Gen. Anders programme also funds full Master's degrees in Poland. Graduate applicants typically face smaller applicant pools than undergraduates simply because fewer apply.
