BMO Financial Group Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow Scholarships

The application for the 2025/26 BMO Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow Scholarships is now closed.

Complete applications and all required documentation must be received by December 1st each year.

Visit our Financial Aid and Awards page to learn about additional opportunities. 

The University of Manitoba is a place where you can define who you really are. We don't just embrace big dreamers, we encourage them. We recognize the potential of our prospective students and have developed a program to promote strong Indigenous leaders within the university community. The BMO Financial Group Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow scholarship program highlights exceptional Indigenous high school graduates who combine outstanding leadership potential with academic giftedness. Each scholarship is valued at $16,000, allocated over four years of study.

Three awards will be given out to Indigenous students across Canada entering any of the direct-entry programs of the University of Manitoba in September 2025.

BMO Financial Group Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow Scholarships will be offered to students who:

1. are Indigenous (Status, Non-Status, Métis, Inuit); 
2. have achieved a high school average of at least 90 per cent calculated on the basis of results in (or equivalent courses across Canada):
   1. English 30S or Français 30S and Anglais 30S 
   2. Mathematics 30S (either pre-calculus 30S or applied 30S only) 
   3. the highest marks in three of Biology 30S, Chemistry 30S, Physics 30S, History 30S, Geography 30S, Computer Science 30s, or a language at the 30S level other than those accepted for (1.1) above; 
3. have demonstrated evidence of leadership qualities and future potential; 
4. have demonstrated evidence of a high level of communication skills; 
5. have a record of community involvement (e.g., school, local community, city-wide, regional, national, international); 
6. have demonstrated evidence of special abilities other than those shown by academic results (e.g., artistic, athletic, or linguistic skills, literary accomplishments); 
7. have completed a University of Manitoba application for admission by the December 1 deadline, including payment of application fee. 

Recipients will be required to present a minimum 90 per cent average based on those courses eligible for the University of Manitoba General Entrance Scholarships.

How to apply:

•    Applicants must complete and submit an application for a Direct-Entry program at the University of Manitoba, as well as an application for the BMO Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship, by December 1st each year. 
•    Applications for the scholarship are located in the Undergraduate Application portal.

• If this is your first time submitting an application, please click “Create Account.” (After this initial application, you can click “Login”).
• Once you have created an account/ logged in, please begin your application for your desired Direct-Entry program and save. 
  • Please note: you must submit your Canadian high school in order for the scholarship application option to appear in the next step. 
• Once your Direct-Entry program application has begun and you have submitted all of the information you are able to up until this point, you can “save for later” in the “review” section. 
• This will bring you back to your applications section and will now see an option to apply for the BMO Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship.
• Please note, payment for your Direct-Entry application, required fields and all required documents for both the Direct-Entry and BMO Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow applications (including your recommendations from your references) must be submitted by December 1st in order to be considered.

Helpful Information:

Applicants:
•    Ensure you provide ample time for the recommender you choose to provide feedback by the application deadline. Regardless of when you send the recommender a request, all portions of the application are due on December 1st.
•    We require 3 letters of recommendations from your recommender (references), one from your high school Principal, one from your high school teacher or counsellor and one from a community member.  Requests for a recommendation are made within the application. Pay close attention to the recommender type (located in the “add a recommender” section). You must have only 1 of each type.
•    Choose a recommender that will be able to provide enough information about you for the selection committee review.

Recommenders:
•    Please ensure you are able to submit your recommendation of the applicant by December 1st.
•    Please include as much information as you can that showcases your experience with the applicant.
•    If you are not able to fulfill a recommender request from the applicant, please advise the applicant with ample time to find another recommender.

Questions:
•    Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow Application: ilotawards@umanitoba.ca
•    Leader of Tomorrow Application: lotawards@umanitoba.ca