RO Home> BEd &Tech Admissions> Thinking of Applying> Vari ScholarshipRO> BEd &Tech Admissions> Thinking of Applying> English Lang Proficiency 

Consecutive Bachelor of Education Admissions

Thinking of Applying 

Award Value

The value of the Vari Scholarship will be approximately $10,000 for each recipient. This makes the Vari Scholarship the largest entrance scholarship offered to candidates coming into the teacher education program at OISE and among the largest scholarships offered by the University of Toronto. The number and exact value of these scholarships may vary according to the annual income of the endowment. For 2008/2009, four awards of $10,000 each were given.

 

Eligibility and Selection

In order to apply for the Vari Scholarship you must also be applying for admission to the Consecutive Bachelor of Education program at the Intermediate/Senior division. Applicants are expected to have strong academic standing (at least a "B+" average in a four year degree) and a strong Applicant Profile. You must also submit a letter of reference from a professor. Final selection is based on your academic average, and performance on a competitive essay. To be eligible for the Vari Scholarship you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and have resided in Ontario for 12 months prior to the beginning of the term of study and demonstrate financial need.

Applications are encouraged from students representing a broad cross-section of academic disciplines (e.g., applied sciences, humanities, liberal arts, sciences, social sciences, etc.).

More information concerning the Intermediate/Senior program and admission requirements can be obtained from the OISE website.

Application Process

Applications for the Vari Scholarship are available during the application period for the OISE Bachelor of Education program, which is from mid-September until the application deadline in late November (or early December). These applications are for admission for the B.Ed. program the following September.

During the application period an application for the Vari Scholarship can be obtained from the Application Forms page. If you intend to apply for the Vari Scholarship, be sure to download the application from the Initial Teacher Education Admissions Information website prior to the application deadline.

[Top]

Completing the Application

The transcripts that you submit in support of your application for the Consecutive B.Ed. program will be used to establish your academic eligibility for the Vari Scholarship. Similarly the Applicant Profile that you submit as part of your basic application for the B.Ed. program will be used as part of your Vari Scholarship application.

The reference letter that is required from one of your professors, and the competitive essay are not part of the regular documentation required for applicants to the Consecutive B.Ed. program. They will not be used to determine admissibility for the Consecutive B.Ed. program, but are important elements in the selection process for the Vari Scholarship.

When you are arranging for the reference letter, ask your professor to return it to you in a sealed envelop with either the professor's signature or an official university seal across the closure so that you can submit it with the Vari Scholarship application. Make sure that you request this letter of reference in sufficient time to meet the application deadline.

If our assessment of your academic standing and your Applicant Profile satisfies the conditions of the Vari Scholarship, then you will be invited to write a competitive essay in a two hour examination. This will take place in late February. It is important that you be available to write this essay. The essay topic will address issues relevant to the educational system in Ontario.

The final selection will be based on consideration of your overall academic average and your standing in the competitive essay.

Under the terms of the Vari Scholarship, financial need must also be demonstrated by successful applicants. You will be asked to provide a brief statement concerning your financial situation as part of the Vari Scholarship application.

Winners will be contacted about receipt of the Vari Scholarship at the time of notification of acceptance to the B.Ed. program.

 

About the Donors

George and Helen Vari, world-renowned philanthropists and international developers, have committed $1 million for a scholarship program to encourage exceptional students to pursue careers in secondary school teaching and, thus improve the quality of education in Ontario. This donation has been matched by the Province of Ontario and the University of Toronto to create a $3 million endowment. In addition to the University of Toronto Vari Scholarship administered by OISE, part of this scholarship program has been established in Victoria College, which is a Federated College of the University, for high school students intending to become secondary school teachers. This is just one of many important projects they have supported through the George and Helen Vari Foundation in Canada and around the world.

The Vari's emigrated to Canada after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. George Vari, who holds a degree in civil engineering and a doctorate in economics, has been appointed to both France's Legion d'Honneur and the Order of Canada, and is a member of the Privy Council of Canada. Helen Vari has been appointed to France's Legion d'Honneur and has been named a Knight of the Order of Malta.

[Top]