Established in 2013 by Rio Tinto Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., this Fund was established to assist individuals pursuing a career in mining or resource development. In 2025, the Fund was restructured into 4 distinct streams. This is the stream for Indigenous residents of the Northwest Territories or Kitikmeot region of Nunavut.
Established in 1994 to assist the Foundation in addressing a wide range of needs in the Yellowknife area.
Since 2017, Parsons Inc. has served as the Main Construction Manager for the Giant Mine Remediation Project on behalf of the Government of Canada. Parsons Inc. is committed to supporting socio-economic development for Indigenous peoples in the Area of Contract by implementing a range of strategies aimed at building capacity within local communities. In 2017, Parsons Inc. launched a scholarship program to support students pursuing post-secondary education in fields related to the remediation of contaminated sites, including professional studies, apprenticeships, and technical training. To date, the program has supported nine Indigenous and Métis scholars in achieving their academic goals, and Parsons Inc. remains dedicated to supporting future scholars throughout the duration of the project.
Patricia (Pat) McMahon grew up in Northern Canada and resided in Yellowknife from 1968 until her untimely death in 2008. As a Councillor of the City of Yellowknife for seven years, Pat served on all of the Council committees and as a volunteer for many community organizations. She was elected Mayor of the City of Yellowknife for three terms, serving from 1987 to 1994. Her personal commitment to Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories resulted in appointments to many local, regional, territorial, national and international committees and organizations over the years including President of both the Northwest Territories Association of Municipalities, and the Livable Winter Cities Association. In 1983, Pat was presented with the NWT Tourism Award by the Government of the Northwest Territories, and in 1992 she received the Commemorative Medal of Canada 125 from the Commissioner of the NWT on behalf of the Governor General.
Established in 2011 to recognize Randy McBride’s long standing contribution to hockey.
The purpose of the Resilient Communities Fund is to support communities across the Northwest Territories in long-term recovery efforts to rebuild after emergency response and environmental crisis. The Resilient Communities Fund does not support response efforts.
You can only apply through our online application portal. In 2026, the application portal opens on April 2nd.
Access it here: https://www.grantinterface.ca/Home/Logon?urlkey=yellowknifescholarship
Mailed and emailed applications will not be accepted barring extreme circumstances. Please reach out to information@ykcf.ca if you need accommodations.
In order to apply for a scholarship, you must be pursuing studies in that field – that is, accepted or enrolled in a program.You must provide either a proof of acceptance or proof of enrolment as part of your application.You cannot apply if you are merely interested in the field of study. You also cannot apply if the field is outside of your primary program of study (eg. If you are a Biology major taking a Music class as an elective, you cannot apply for the Alice and Randy Daniels Music Fund).
Every year, our application period happens between April and May. All of our scholarships, except for:
We consider you to be a 'resident' As per our policy, of the Northwest Territories, Yukon, or Nunavut if you meet one of the following criteria:
Yes! We encourage you to complete the eligibility quiz to see which funds you are eligible to apply. Remember that not every fund is available for residents outside of Yellowknife, but most are available to people who reside in one of the Northern Territories.
Each residency declaration is a one-click question embedded within the application process.You just need to provide the email address of your residency witness, and they will be emailed directly.
Once you create a profile on our application portal, it will ask you to complete an eligibility quiz to determine which Student Award funds you are eligible to apply to. Once complete, you can start applying to the funds that apply to your studies! Once you have completed the eligibility quiz and you think there should be a Student Award that isn't listed, please contact our office to inquire!
Tel: 867 446 4527
Email: information@ykcf.ca
All of our funding amounts vary from scholarship to scholarship, year by year. However, each scholarship is worth at least $1,000. Clicking on each award will show you how much each scholarship is worth this year.
Each application is reviewed by our Student Award Review Committee. Student awards that we administer for another organization are reviewed by Committee members from that organization. Assessment criteria can also be seen here.
As much as you can! You will get into the flow of the process the more you write and apply. The key is to give each question your all.
Yes, you can re-use answers. Although, be sure to read and re-read the application instructions to confirm your writing is applicable to the question. If there are common questions among different student awards, you will see that they will already be filled out if you already answered that question for another scholarship application.
You no longer have to upload a reference letter for most of our awards. Simply provide the email address of your reference, and we will send them a recommendation form to fill out.
We have different types of reference requests: academic reference, character reference, sports involvement reference, and arts-involvement reference. We suggest you ask someone you know well and for an extended period of time. Some great examples are employers, teachers, guidance counselors, coaches, mentors, or instructors.
For some of our Funds, you will have to submit a statement of financial need. This can look very different for everyone - that is why your statement is in the form of a written essay. We want to learn more about your unique circumstances, as long as you are comfortable sharing.
Exp: "I grew up with a single father and he always made sure we were taken care of, but it was a struggle. We never left the territory for vacation. When some of my friends would have nice clothes and good snacks for lunch, I always had old clothes and a peanut butter sandwich, every day. Life was good but we didn't have luxuries. I could not go to college without financial support and student loans."
It is a good idea to start the process of applying early, to ensure you have all of the needed documents (eg. letter of admission, reference letters received) completed and submitted by the deadline.
All of our scholarships are due on the same day every year. If you are ready to submit your application, feel free to do so before the deadline. However, all applications will be reviewed only after the deadline. Applying for a scholarship earlier than the deadline will not give you an advantage.
You may only submit one application per scholarship. Keep in mind that each scholarship has specific criteria. Please complete the eligibility quiz to see which Student Award Funds you are eligible to apply to.
31 May at 11.59pm MST: All applications due via scholarship portal found on the Yellowknife Community Foundation website.
June & July: Yellowknife Community Foundation staff and Student Awards Review Committee members conduct due diligence checks on all applications and undertake a review process. As a normal part of our review process, you may hear from us with questions about your application. We appreciate your time in providing clarity.
Mid to Late July: Applicants are notified. Every applicant will receive notification regardless of funding decision.
If you have any questions, please contact the Yellowknife Community Foundation at information@ykcf.ca
If you have any questions, please contact the Yellowknife Community Foundation at information@ykcf.ca, or call us at (867) 446-4527, our business hours are:
