$900,000 in scholarships awarded to 170 students by the Horatio Alger Association of Canada

MONTREAL, Feb. 8, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - The Horatio Alger Association of Canada, a charitable organization dedicated to the simple but powerful belief that hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles, today unveiled the 170 students chosen to receive its post-secondary scholarships. These students are part of the 200 new Scholars who will receive scholarships from the Association this year.

The winners include 10 recipients of the $10,000 Horatio Alger National Entrepreneurial Scholarships, awarded to students who demonstrate a desire and ability to be entrepreneurial in a chosen field, and 160 Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarships valued at $5,000 each.

Prem Watsa, the President of the Horatio Alger Association of Canada and a Member of the organization since 2012, congratulated this year's winners.

"This year, we more than doubled the number of scholarships offered in recognition of the immense need for post-secondary financial support in Canada" said Mr. Watsa. "The 170 outstanding students selected to be 2019 Horatio Alger Scholars prove that we made the right decision. The Members of the Horatio Alger Association are honoured to help them as they strive to overcome adversity and obtain a good education."

Horatio Alger scholarships are awarded annually to deserving high school students in financial need who have overcome significant adversity while demonstrating strength of character, strong academics, a commitment to pursuing higher education as well as a desire to contribute to society. Funds can be used for university studies. The Association offers separate scholarships for vocational and CEGEP studies.

Since 2012, over $5.1 million in scholarships have been awarded to 866 deserving young Canadians.

The Association received thousands of applications from coast to coast to coast, with each submission confirming the necessity of these needs-based scholarships:

• The average annual family income of the recipients was $24,698;
• 35% of the scholars experienced abandonment by a parent or guardian;
• 34% suffered from physical, mental, or sexual abuse;
• 22% faced drug or alcohol abuse in the household;
• 21% experienced disability or serious illness;
• 15% faced the death of a parent or guardian;
• 10% experienced the incarceration of a parent or guardian;
• 5% are wards of the state or in foster care;
• 9% have faced homelessness.

Nevertheless, the average recipient maintains an exceptionally high grade of 89%.

For the complete list of the 10 Horatio Alger National Entrepreneurial Scholarship recipients and the 160 Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarship recipients, please visit https://horatioalger.ca/en/2019-scholarship-recipients/.

About the Horatio Alger Association of Canada

The Horatio Alger Association of Canada, the Canadian affiliate of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., is a charitable organization dedicated to the simple but powerful belief that hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles. The Association honours the achievements of outstanding individuals who have succeeded in spite of adversity by bestowing to them the Horatio Alger Award and granting them lifetime membership into the Association. Through the generosity of Horatio Alger Members, the Horatio Alger Association of Canada awards scholarships annually to deserving young people in every province and territory. Members of the Association include Alain Bouchard, Dominic D'Alessandro, Murray Edwards, Serge Godin, Wayne Gretzky, the Right Honourable David Johnston, Rebecca MacDonald, the late G. Wallace F. McCain, the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, Jim Pattison, Gerald W. Schwartz, Isadore Sharp, Prem Watsa and Rick Waugh. Jay S. Hennick will be inducted into the Association as a Member in the spring of 2019. For more information, visit www.horatioalger.ca. The Association can also be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE Horatio Alger Association of Canada

Tom Kott, HATLEY Strategy Advisors, 514.316.7082, [email protected]