SAC Scholarships
Thank you to our scholarship supporters
The Beach Family
The Estate of Virginia Martin
Eligibility
- Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- Speech-Language Pathology or Audiology students in a full-time master’s or PhD program (Canadian or International), or students enrolled in a full-time Communicative Disorders Program offered at a recognized Canadian academic institution
- Have a current SAC Student Associate membership
*Full-time students in a PhD program who have a SAC membership are also eligible.
Not a SAC member?
You can join today for free and receive discounts and benefits that will support you as a student and throughout your career.
General Criteria for All Students
In order for an application to be considered by the Scholarship Committee, all students must provide the General Criteria and must meet the requirements defined in the scholarship description.
All applicants must submit a personal short essay.
Tell us about the significant life experiences and role models that have shaped your career choice, your special interests in the field, and your personal goals as a practitioner.
Students can use one of the following formats:
- Written essay: maximum word counts not to exceed 350 words
- Audio & Visual (e.g., PowerPoint, video) not to exceed three (3) minutes
Additional Criteria for Select Scholarships
Please make sure to review the scholarship descriptions thoroughly to identify any additional criteria that must be met.
SAC Research Scholarship:
Students applying for the SAC Research Scholarship must provide a clinical reference, in addition to the General Criteria. The clinical reference must come from the agency where the student has undertaken clinical practice and must use the provided form. The completed form must be sent to SAC directly from the individual providing the reference for it to be included as part of the scholarship application. Reference forms must be received by the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Available forms
Applications for 2026-2027 are now open!
Ready to apply? Log in to your account.
Please ensure the completed application and the general and additional criteria are submitted to SAC by the posted deadlines. Late submissions will not be considered.
Cycle One Scholarship Application
Application opens: September 30
Deadline: December 10
Cycle Two Scholarship Application
Application opens: September 30
Deadline: February 15
| Cycle 1 | Cycle 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Elks & Purple Fund for Children Scholarship | 13 Awards $1000–2000 each | Beach Family Graduate Scholarship | Two (2) Awards $2500 each |
| KIDSPEECH Leadership Scholarship | One (1) Award $1000 value | KIDSPEECH Research Excellence Scholarship | One (1) Award $2000 value |
| Virginia Martin Memorial Scholarship | One (1) Award $500 value | KIDSPEECH Future Clinician Scholarship | One (1) Award $2000 value |
| SAC Audiology Leadership Scholarship | One (1) Award $1000 value | SAC Research Scholarship | Two (2) Awards $1000 each |
| Isabel Richard Scholarship | Three (3) Awards $1000 each | SAC Communication Health Assistant Student Scholarship | One (1) Award $750 value |
| Grace Margaret Harris Scholarship | One (1) Award $1000 value | ||
| SAC Communication Health Assistant Student Scholarship | One (1) Award $750 value |
Scholarships
Elks and Purple Fund for Children Scholarships
The Elks of Canada is a Canadian volunteer organization of men and women serving communities across the country. Speech and hearing disorders continue to be the main area of focus for The Elks & Royal Purple of Canada. Thanks to this remarkable charity, individuals across Canada have received hearing aids, cochlear implants, therapeutic treatment sessions and so much more. A large part of Elks & Royal Purple Fund for Children efforts is directed to the communication health and needs of children.
Preference for the Elks & Royal Purple Fund for Children Scholarships will be given to students who plan to pursue a career working with children.
Deborah Kully Scholarship
Amount: $2000
Number Awarded: 1
Application Deadline: December 10
Deborah Kully was the co-founder and long-time (retired) Executive Director of ISTAR, the Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research. This $2000 scholarship is awarded annually to a student who been involved in one of the Elk’s programs.
Special Note
Students must have been involved with one of the Elk’s programs (ISTAR, SPARC, BC Family Hearing Resource Society, Central Speech and Hearing Clinic and Ontario Voice).
Application Criteria
Susan Lane
Amount: $2000
Application Deadline: December 10
Named in honour of the long-time director of the BC Family Hearing Resource Centre, this scholarship is awarded annually to a student who has been involved in one of the Elks’ programs.
Special Note
Students must have been involved with one of the Elk’s programs (ISTAR, SPARC, BC Family Hearing Resource Society, Central Speech and Hearing Clinic and Ontario Voice).
Application Criteria
William J. Blake Scholarship
Amount:$2000
Number Awarded: 1
Application Deadline: December 10
Named in honour of William Blake, National Executive Director and Executive Administrator of the Elks of Canada for 28 years (1987 – 2015). This scholarship is awarded annually to a student who, in addition to meeting the general criteria, is a member or a relative of a member of the Elks of Canada.
Special Note
Students must be a member, or have a relative who is a member, of the Elks of Canada.
Application Criteria
Gordon Leslie Memorial Scholarship
Amount: $1000
Number Awarded: 10
Application Deadline: December 10
Named in honour of Mr. Gordon Leslie, a benefactor from Marwayne, Alberta, who left a bequest to the Elks & Royal Purple Fund for Children.
Application Criteria
Beach Family Scholarships
The Beach Family Scholarships were created in 2017 in loving memory of a family member who graduated from a Master’s speech-language pathology program and who was especially passionate about geriatric and pediatric speech-language pathology. The family created the scholarships with the goal of improving communication health services for adults and children across Canada.
Preference will be given to students who plan to work in the areas of pediatrics and/or geriatrics in rural, remote or underserved communities.
Amount: $2500
Number Awarded: 2
Application Deadline: February 15
The Beach Family Graduate Scholarships are awarded annually to two (2) graduate students who are entering or are enrolled in an audiology or speech-language pathology program and who express an interest in serving geriatric and/or pediatric populations in rural, remote or underserved communities.
Application Criteria
- General Criteria
- Short response to the following question (maximum 500 words):
Describe your interest in serving underserved communities.
Your response should include:
- What community do you wish to work with?
- Why did want to work in this specific community?
- Any volunteer experience you have with this community.
KIDSPEECH Scholarships
KIDSPEECH™ has been serving both children and adults since 1988. The founder and long-time member of SAC, Maria Scaringi, is a registered Speech-Language Pathologist and a certified Canadian Life Care Planner who has worked with thousands of clients over the past three decades.
Graduate students enrolled in a speech-language pathology program are welcome to apply.
KIDSPEECH Leadership Scholarship
Amount: $1000
Number Awarded: 1
Application Deadline: December 10
The KIDSPEECH Leadership scholarship will be offered to promising speech-language pathology students who demonstrate philanthropic initiative, motivation and a vision for the future beyond their careers. Extracurricular activities such as volunteering or participating in a sports league enable you to learn more about what activities and fields you enjoy, identify your strengths and build connections. As an agent of social change, you impact your communities while gaining essential skills and experiences.
Special Note
Applicants must be a full-time student enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program for speech-language pathology.
Application Criteria
- General Criteria
- Short response to the following question (maximum 500 words):
Describe how your extracurricular activities prepare you for a career as a speech-language pathologist.
Your response should include the following:
- A description of a wide range of activities (volunteering, participating in sports or arts; music, dancing, painting, photography)
- What have you learned about yourself, others and your community through each of these experiences? Be specific!
- How will these aforementioned activities and experiences prepare you for a career as a speech-language pathologist?
KIDSPEECH Doctoral Scholarship
Amount: $2000
Number Awarded: 1
Application Deadline: February 15
The KIDSPEECH™ Doctoral Scholarship is designed for S-LP students entering into, or currently enrolled in, a doctorate, post doctorate or research PhD. This student will contribute to growth within the field of human communication through their commitment to specialization, research and leadership potential. This scholarship is ideal for a student who:
- Specializes in various aspects in the field of cognitive communications, focused on children or adolescents who may have experienced a concussion, head injury, stroke or other neurological injuries affecting cognitive communication skills; or
- Specializes in communication difficulties among children diagnosed with Asperger’s, Autism or learning difficulties/literacy (namely reading and writing skills).
Special Note
Applicants must be a full-time student in a doctoral program for speech-language pathology.
Application Criteria
- General Criteria
- Short response to the following question (maximum 500 words):
Most speech-language pathologists’ practice with a master’s degree. Why have you chosen to pursue training at the doctoral level?
Your response should include the following details:
- Why training at the doctoral level will enhance your professional career
- Your plans once you have attained your doctoral degree
- Discuss the relevance of your dissertation to the clinical practice of Speech-Language Pathology
KIDSPEECH Travelling Scholarship
Amount: $2000
Number Awarded: 1
Application Deadline: February 15
The KIDSPEECH™ Travelling Scholarship will support a student facing financial barriers to accepting a placement in a rural, remote or underserved community. (Note: a community is considered rural or remote if it has a population of less than 10,000 and/or has a population density of less than 150 people per square kilometer). This scholarship is ideal for a student who has a confirmed placement in a rural/remote/underserved community in Canada, or who is travelling abroad for their S-LP training.
Special notes
Applicants must be a full-time student enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program for speech-language pathology.
The recipient will be required to submit confirmation of a confirmed placement (planned or in-progress).
Application Criteria
- General Criteria
- Short response to the following questions (maximum 500 words):
- Why is this placement or location of interest to you?
- What financial challenges present barriers to your placement?
- What might be some of the challenges for you while training in a remote/underserved community/abroad?
Preference will be given to
- students who intend to work with a bilingual population;
- students who address communication disorders in children, adolescents or adults who experience cognitive communication difficulties; and
- students who study and research the impact of the pandemic on children’s development in speech, language, social, academic, literacy and cognitive issues.
SAC Scholarships
SAC recognizes that students are a vital part of our membership and the future of the professions we represent. The SAC Research Scholarships are funded through sponsorships with our affinity partners and donations from individuals.
Amount: $1,000
Number Awarded: 1
Application Deadline: December 10
Application Criteria
- General Criteria
- Short response to the following question (maximum 500 words):
Describe how your extracurricular activities prepare you for a career as an audiologist.
Your response should include the following:
- A description of a wide range of activities (volunteering, participating in sports or arts; music, dancing, painting, photography, etc.)
- What have you learned about yourself, others and your community through each of these experiences? Be specific!
- How will these aforementioned activities and experiences prepare you for a career as an audiologist?
Amount: $1000
Number Awarded: 2
Application Deadline: December 10
The SAC Research Scholarship is intended for a student who conducts a research project during their master’s degree in audiology or speech-language pathology.
Application Criteria
- General Criteria
- One Clinical Evaluation Form
- Short response to the following question (maximum 500 words):
Describe your research project.
Your response should include:
- A brief description of your research project
- How the outcomes will impact the field of human communication or communication disorders
- How your research can be applied in a clinical setting
Amount: $500
Number Awarded: 4
The SAC Student Achievement Award is awarded to students who demonstrate a passion for their profession and show promise as a clinician. The recipients are chosen by the Scholarship Committee from the pool of eligible applications.
Amount: $1000
Number Awarded: 1
Application Deadline: February 15
Grace Margaret Harris was a charter member of SAC and received the honours of the Association in 1977. In 1992, she was appointed to the Order of Canada for contributions. This scholarship is awarded annually to a student enrolled in a Canadian university.
Application Criteria
- General Criteria
- Create an original resource that can be distributed in a rural community health centre to communicate information. (ex. a poster, an infographic, a children’s book).
- Prepare a short description explaining how the resource will be beneficial to the target audience for the practice setting (maximum word count: 300).
Amount: $1000
Number Awarded: 3
Application Deadline: December 10
Isabel Richard was a founding member of the Canadian Speech and Hearing Association (now known as SAC). As the association’s first President, her dedication and vision helped establish the association and bring together professionals from across Canada. This scholarship is awarded to three (3) students each year.
Application Criteria
SAC Communication Health Assistant Student Scholarship
Amount: $750
Number Awarded: 1
Application Deadline: February 15
SAC recognizes that students are a vital part of our membership and are the future of the professions we represent. As part of our ongoing commitment to support student associates in their pursuit of becoming communication health assistants, SAC’s Board of Directors has established an annual scholarship valued at $750.
- Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
- Current SAC communication health assistant student associate.
- Full-time student enrolled in a formal academic program for communication health assistants at a Canadian college or university.
All students applying for this scholarship must submit the following with their application.
Academic Transcript
For those in a one-year program, please provide transcript for first semester. SAC holds the right to request an official transcript if deemed necessary.
Academic Reference
One (1) Academic Reference from a professor/instructor of your program. References are asked to use the provided form. The completed form must be sent to SAC directly from the individual providing the reference, or it will not be included as part of the application. All reference forms must be received by the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Online Reference Form | .pdf Reference Form
A short essay (maximum 800 words). The essay should include the following details:
- What led to your interest in the field of communication disorders?
- What are your career plans?
- What is your intended area of practice and population of interest?
- How will your personal strengths be brought into play in your career path?
- What is your current and future participation in professional issues/organizations?
- What is your volunteer work/community involvement experience?
- To what extent has your volunteer work/community work involved people with communication disorders?
FAQ
No. Applicants must be full-time students in a qualified program.
You can apply for multiple scholarships. Make sure you can meet the criteria for the scholarships you select.
No, you can use one application form. Some scholarships have special criteria that you must submit with your application.
No, the reference forms must be emailed to SAC by your reference, or they will not be considered as part of your application.
You can submit digital copies of your transcripts; however, SAC reserves the right to request a physical, official transcript if deemed necessary.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accept printed applications at this time. If you are unable to apply online please contact us for further assistance.
SAC will announce the recipients in late spring.
Yes, the scholarship program is only open to current SAC Student Associates. Not a member? You can join SAC prior to submitting your scholarship application. Plus, you will receive excellent benefits that will help you with your career.
Yes, scholarship recipients must provide proof of citizenship or permanent resident status.
You only need to submit one clinical reference. The same reference can be used for multiple scholarships in both cycles.
“I would again like to express my heartfelt thanks for the SAC’s support in helping to realize my plans for future participation in professional issues. Thank you again for financially contributing to my research and personal development through this generous award.”
Marie Shuman, Msc.
“I was thrilled and honoured to learn that I was awarded an Elks and Royal Purple Fund for Children Scholarship. It is a great feeling to receive this recognition from the Elks and SAC- two organizations that do so much both for their members and for the community. Meanwhile, as I enter the home stretch of my academic program, this scholarship will help to alleviate some financial burden and allow me to focus more closely on future academic and clinical endeavours.”
2019 Scholarship Recipient
- Last modified:
- 2026-10-02