Scholarships & Bursaries

Mount Royal University offers hundreds of financial awards to new and continuing students in the form of scholarships, bursaries, and other prizes. Listed below are awards specific to English, Languages and Cultures:

  • students enrolled in English courses.

  • students enrolled in French courses.


Students are encouraged to review specific award eligibility and criteria as each award is different.

MRU awards

Information on all Mount Royal awards, including a list of awards, important dates, and application procedures, is available here.

Please note that the application deadline for many of these awards is March 1. Information on student loans and other types of government funding are available here.

In addition, Mount Royal students may be eligible for external awards. A helpful list of external awards can be found here.

Writing awards

These awards recognize outstanding writing produced by students of English, Creative Writing, and Film Studies. Applications are to be submitted directly to the Department of English, Languages, and Cultures by the end of April of each year. A guide to formatting submissions for anonymous review can be found here.

By making an application, students grant permission to Mount Royal University to use their names and their written work in order to promote the Writing Awards and the Department.  

Literary Kaleidoscope Society Award

The Literary Kaleidoscope Society Award recognizes outstanding achievement in creative writing produced by full-time students majoring in English. Literary Kaleidoscope, Calgary, is a volunteer organization that encourages reading and writing through regular meetings, guest speakers, and annual awards to university students who have produced exceptional written work. For more information, please go to Literary Kaleidoscope, Calgary. English, Languages, and Cultures express profound gratitude to the Literary Kaleidoscope Society for its generous support.

Application form for the Literary Kaleidoscope Society Award.

Drs Carla and Melvin Pasternak Award

The Pasternak Award recognizes outstanding achievement in original poetry (even springs) and poetry criticism (odd springs) by full-time students in any program. Both with PhDs in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Carla and Melvin Pasternak taught for many years at Mount Royal. Carla pursued a career as a highly successful investment analyst while also teaching courses in literature, composition, and business communications. Melvin, who bought his first stock as a teenager in 1962, distinguished himself as a stockmarket analyst during his twenty-seven years and more at Mount Royal. He is the author of 21 Candlesticks Every Trader Should Know. English, Languages, and Cultures express profound gratitude to the Pasternak's for their generous support.

Application form for the Pasternak Award.

MRU Writing Scholarships

These two scholarships recognize outstanding achievement in original work written in English by full- or part-time students in any program. The MRU Writing Scholarship--Composition acknowledges the best literary, personal, or academic essay on any subject produced in the previous year. The MRU Writing Scholarship--Creative Writing acknowledges the best piece of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or drama produced in the previous year.

Application form for the MRU Writing Scholarship — Composition.

Application form for the MRU Writing Scholarship — Creative Writing.