New scholarship opens doors for CAF members, veterans, and families

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Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members, veterans, and their families now have access to a new scholarship designed to remove barriers to education and career training.

The General Hillier Valour and Service Veterans and Military Families Scholarship (VSS), created by MaKami College through the MaKami Education Foundation, offers support that goes beyond covering tuition. Successful applicants may also receive help with living expenses as well as access to academic and mental health resources — supports aimed at easing the transition into post-secondary life.

The scholarship is open to:

• Serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their spouses and dependents
• Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and their spouses and dependents

Recipients can apply the scholarship toward a variety of MaKami programs, including health care aide, business administration, massage therapy, medical office assistant, applied politics and public affairs, early learning and childcare, social media and digital marketing, and more.

The initiative was launched earlier this year with a $1-million contribution from MaKami’s founding family. College president Marija Pavkovic-Tovissi said the goal is to honour the service and sacrifice of Canada’s military community while creating new opportunities for growth.

To oversee the fund, MaKami has appointed a committee that includes leaders with both military and public service backgrounds, chaired by General (Ret’d) Rick Hillier, former Chief of the Defence Staff. The committee is responsible for ensuring fairness and transparency in the application and selection process.

Founded in 2001, MaKami College is Alberta’s largest Alberta Advanced Education-approved private vocational college, with campuses in Calgary and Edmonton. The school offers a wide range of career training programs in health care, business, and community service fields, with an emphasis on hands-on training and wraparound student supports.

For more information, including application details and full eligibility criteria, visit makamifoundation.com/general-hillier-scholarship.