Financial Aid and Awards

Student aid initiative began in 2006 with the inception of Law Entrance Awards. Through the generous contribution of various donors, students receiving an Early Offer of admission are considered. The award amounts range from $3,500 – $8,000.

2024-2025 Entrance Awards and Scholarships – deadline is December 1, 2023

To apply for scholarships, a written statement (maximum 300 words) is required. The statement should clearly demonstrate the personal characteristics you have and describe how they can be related to the highest standards of the legal profession. The written statement is uploaded to the portal, at the time of application. Be certain your name appears in the document, as well as the file name.

No other application is required.

In addition to the personal characteristics statement described above, some of our first year scholarships require demonstration of financial need.

Initial entrance scholarships will be allocated in early February (approximate). Should award(s) become available, allocations will be made as necessary.

• Ahava Halpern and Frank Lavitt Entrance Scholarship for Law
• Ben A. Shuckett Entrance Award
• D’Arcy & Deacon LLP Entrance Award
• E. J. McMurray Trust Entrance Scholarship
• Maitland Steinkopf Entrance Award
• Manitoba Law School Foundation Entrance Scholarship
• Max Steinkopf Entrance Award
• Morton H. Nemy Entrance Award
• Patricia N. and Mark G. Smerchanski Law Entrance Scholarship
• Pitblado LLP Entrance Scholarship
• Taylor McCaffrey LLP Entrance Award

The following entrance scholarships require a separate application.

• Ken Tacium Memorial Scholarship
• David Sowemimo Law Entrance Scholarship
• University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law Entrance Award Application (.pdf)

Exclusive to Faculty of Law students, one-third of the tuition surcharge collected is given back to students in the form of needs-based bursaries. Since the inception of Robson Hall Bursary in 2005, the Faculty of Law has awarded over $1,700,000. The allocations are based on financial need and are distributed in the fall. An application to government student aid is required to be considered.

Requests are assessed on a case by case basis in the Faculty throughout the school year.

This is an informational database of every Senate approved award. The database is administered by Financial Aid and Awards in Enrolment Services.

University of Manitoba Awards Database

Every year, The University of Manitoba offers a wide-range of bursaries to both new and continuing full and part-time students that have demonstrated financial need. These bursaries range in amount from $100-$1,000.

The University of Manitoba Financial Aid and Awards

The University of Manitoba emergency loan program provides short-term assistance to students who experience unexpected and immediate financial expenses or constraints. This includes, but is not limited to, unanticipated personal living costs, and unexpected delays in government loans, and other award funding.

Emergency Loan information

Government Student Loans should be a student’s first consideration for funding. There are many potential advantages, such as no payments required, or interest accrued, until after you graduate.

Government Aid

The top ten students on the Faculty of Law Dean’s Honour List at the end of first and/or second year, who continue their legal studies in the next academic year at Robson Hall become Pitblado Scholars.  Students are presented with a scholarship at a formal reception in the fall.  The scholarship is applied to tuition.  The Scholars Program was set up by Jim and Sandra Pitblado in memory of Mr. Pitblado’s father and grandfather.

Awards are offered that aim to reward academic ability but also to acknowledge professional excellence and outstanding achievement in volunteer activities at Robson Hall and in the community at large. Students are required to apply for these awards and, in some cases, to submit statements indicating how they meet the criteria established in the terms of reference. The awards include the following:

• Yude M. Henteleff Award in Human Rights and Civil Liberties (.pdf)
• Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Professional Excellence Award
• Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP Award
• Muriel St. John Research Award for Women's Legal Issues
• J.S.D. Tory Writing Award (.pdf)
• Regina Novek Prize (medicine and the law) (.pdf)

This series of awards is presented to members of each graduating class upon Convocation, who have been nominated for extraordinary non-academic achievements during their time at law school. These awards include:

• Class of 1980 Prize (.pdf)
• Susan Loadman Memorial Award (.pdf)
• Class of 2019 Humanitarian Award

Through the generosity of the law firm of Fillmore Riley LLP, an endowment fund has been established to offer assistance to students following graduation from the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba. The objective of the award is to provide students with debt relief on personal bank loans or lines of credit incurred to support their legal studies at Robson Hall. These awards are intended for students who have graduated from Robson Hall who remain in the Province of Manitoba to article and practice law. The call for applications is annually in March.

The purpose of the Schwartz-Reisman Scholars Program is to recognize community involvement, leadership and academic excellence among students studying in the I.H. Asper School of Business and the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba.

In addition to these awards, Robson Hall is pleased to offer the following family endowed scholarships :

• Bernard and Amy Dubienski Scholarship
• Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP Scholarship
• A.W. Hogg Scholarship
• Honourable Alexander Morris Exhibition
• Isbister Scholarship
• Lieutenant M.M. Soronow Scholarship
• Manitoba Law School Foundation Entrance Scholarship
• Shelley M. Weiss Memorial Scholarship

A complete list of active, senate-approved undergraduate and graduate awards administered by the University of Manitoba and dedicated to the Faculty of Law can be found through searching the University of Manitoba Awards Database.

1. During the months of June and July: Apply for government student loans from your home province.
    
2. August 1:  Login to AURORA and under the ‘Student Awards and Financial Aid’ tab, complete the 2023/2024 Aid Year University of Manitoba General Bursary application AND the Faculty of Law Supplemental Section; both are required.
   step-by-step instructions to find the bursary application in AURORA.
   Deadline:  October 3, 2023.
    
3. Email a copy of your student loans assessment (the document that details the funding you are eligible for) to lawadmissions@umanitoba.ca Be certain your name appears on the document.

November:  bursary allocations applied to AURORA student for Winter Term tuition

The purpose of the Faculty of Law emergency bursary program is to provide short-term assistance to students who experience unexpected and immediate financial expenses or constraints. This includes, but is not limited to, unanticipated personal living costs, and unexpected delays in government loans and other award funding. 

At any point during the academic year, Emergency Bursaries are available to Robson Hall students.  Students are asked to submit a written application that includes an explanation of their circumstances defining the emergency, and a budget outlining expenses and resources. It is in the best interest of the student to identify a dollar amount requested. Further questions/inquiries should be directed to lawadmissions@umanitoba.ca.

Fillmore Riley Endowment Fund Awards
Application deadline: Wednesday, March 15, 2023

• Fillmore Riley LLP Post-Graduation Debt Relief Bursary Information (.pdf)
• Fillmore Riley Post-Graduate Bursary Application (.pdf)

The partners of Fillmore Riley have made a commitment of $150,000, with a matching commitment from the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative, to establish an endowment fund of $300,000 that offers assistance to students following graduation from the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba.

The objective of the award is to provide students with debt relief on personal bank loans or lines of credit incurred to support their legal studies at Robson Hall. These awards are intended for students graduating from the Faculty of Law who remain in the Province of Manitoba to article or to practice law.

Interested individuals are invited to apply or before Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Application requirements:

1. A graduate of the Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba and currently articling, or have articled in Manitoba (see note below);
2. A minimum degree grade point average (DGPA) of 2.50 on all courses completed in the Faculty of Law (transcripts are not required);
3. Provide proof of a personal loan or line of credit from an approved lending institution by including a recent statement. The statement should clearly display the name of the person(s) holding the loan or line of credit as well as the account balance; and
4. Complete a Post-Graduation Debt Relief Application form, including a written personal statement of qualification and budget that clearly demonstrates difficulty in making debt payments. Note: This bursary is available to students three years post-graduation (graduates from 2022, 2021 and 2020 are eligible).

Please email your applications, and direct inquiries to: lawadmissions@umanitoba.ca

Please be sure to quote ‘2023 Fillmore Riley Post-Grad Bursary Application’ in the subject line. Late applications will not be accepted. Many thanks to the partners of Fillmore Riley LLP and the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative for their generosity and support.

Deadline to Apply: November 30th, 2022
Donich Law is a trusted Toronto Law Firm, offering experienced, creative legal representation for both domestic and international clients. The Firm's reputation was built on hard work, perseverance and dedication to customer service. Donich Law is pleased to present a $1,000 award to an undergraduate or law student distinguished by work experience and academic achievement. This award was established in 2018 and is intended to reward students who have demonstrated and share the core values of the Firm's success.

Learn more about the Donich Entrepreneurial Scholarship.

Past University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law winners were Stephen Sisson (2018), Jonah Peron (2019), and Rohit Gupta (2020). Congratulations to the 2021 UM Law winner, Hardeep Suri. 

Deadline to Apply: April 28, 2023
The Jo-Anne M. Findlay Memorial Award was made possible due to the generous donations of many who honoured Jo-Anne when she passed away in May 2021. The award will be offered each year to a 3rd year student graduating from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law’s JD Program who has, over the course of their academic career, demonstrated a strong commitment to volunteerism, access to justice and the values of Legal Help Centre of Winnipeg Inc. (“LHC”). Candidates must have worked at LHC as an extern, summer student and/or volunteer. The recognition will include a monetary award of $1250.00 and is intended to support a new graduate as they embark on their law career.

The inaugural winner of this award was Taylor Antonchuk (2022)

Completed application forms must be sent via email to LHC’s Executive Director, Scott McFadyen, scott@legalhelpcentre.ca.

The intention of Service Learning is to provide an opportunity for students to volunteer their time with an organization that offers a social good for consumption or use by the general public.

To support service learning, a bursary has been established whereby service learning work may be eligible for a tuition bursary credit. The tuition credit is applied to University of Manitoba: Law tuition fees in the Academic year following completion of the project. Please note that this bursary is not transferrable to tuition fees at other institutions.

1L and 2L students. Registration in the subsequent Fall and Winter Terms, at the University of Manitoba is required.

Examples of Previously Funded Opportunities:

• Internships at the United Nations
• BC Civil Liberties Association
• Public Interest Law Centre (PILC)
• Internships through LEVEL (formally Canadian Lawyers Abroad)
• Legal Help Centre
• ProBono Students Canada
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Annually during the month of February, a call for applications is made. The deadline for applications for summer 2023 service learning projects is: April 4, 2023.

Interested applicants are asked to submit the following:

1. A Statement of Intent describing your interest in and relevance of the opportunity.
2. Details of the project (i.e. what will you be doing, who you will be supervised by etc.).
3. Information about the organization with whom you will be volunteering.
4. A CV / Résumé.
5. A Letter of Offer (acceptance or confirmation) from host organization, if applicable.
6. A completed bursary application demonstrating financial need will also be required (instructions will be provided following receipt of application materials.)

Please note that opportunities for academic credit (for example: Mishpatim Program at Hebrew University) and conferences are not eligible. Preference is also given to first-time applicants.

To submit your application or for more information about the Service Learning Project program, please send email with subject line “Service Learning Project 2023” to:

Rory Churchill-Henry
Admissions and Awards Officer
Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, MB Canada R3T 2N2