Educational Bursaries Available To Impaired Driving Victims Attending Post-Secondary School

Oakville, ON (MADD Canada) MADD Canada’s educational bursary program  – now offering higher bursary amounts – is available to impaired driving victims and survivors attending post-secondary school. 

The MADD Canada Youth Bursary Fund offers one $10,000 bursary (increased from $8,000 last year) and several $5,000 bursaries (increased from $4,000 last year) to Canadian citizens who have been severely injured, or who have had an immediate family member (mother, father, legal guardian, sister or brother) killed or severely injured in an impairment-related crash. 

Bursary applications for the upcoming school year are being accepted until May 31, 2021. Applicants must be pursuing a full-time, post-secondary educational program that is approved by a provincial Ministry of Education to be eligible. For details and an application form, please visit the MADD Canada Youth Bursary Fund page. 

MADD Canada is hosting an online webinar on May 6 at 7 p.m. ET for students who wish to learn more about the Youth Bursary Fund. Register here.

The largest bursary of $10,000 is the Louise Joanne Twerdy Leadership Bursary, named in memory of a former MADD Canada National President and staff member. It is awarded to one student each year who aspires to the same leadership, dedication and compassion that Louise exhibited throughout her lifetime.

MADD Canada’s National President Jaymie-Lyne Hancock, is a past recipient of that Leadership bursary. Her brother, D.J. Hancock, was tragically killed in August 2014 after his car was hit by an impaired driver.

“That bursary meant so much to me when I was in university,” said Ms. Hancock, who was pursuing her Masters of Science in Nursing – Nurse Practitioner Program at Laurentian University when she received the award. “I was able to focus on my studies without worrying as much about financial pressures. This is an amazing opportunity for victims and survivors who are going to university or college and can use some financial help to reach their goals.”

MADD Canada offers its thanks to the all donors and sponsors who earmark their contributions for this program, including Azrieli Foundation, as well as Garth William Hazlitt of Winnipeg, Manitoba, who donated an incredible $25,000 to the Bursary Program to fund one bursary annually between 2018 and 2023.  

For further information, please contact:

Steve Sullivan, MADD Canada Director of Victim Services at 1-866-876-5224 or ssullivan@madd.ca. 

Jaymie-Lyne Hancock, MADD Canada National President at 705-623-3148 or jhancock@madd.ca.