February 25, 2015
Some of our most successful TFS graduates have been scholarship recipients – exceptional students who would not have been able to attend TFS otherwise. “My parents were both well-educated professionals, but being new immigrants there was no way we would have been able to afford an independent school education, so it was not even a remote possibility. When I won a scholarship to attend TFS it opened a new world to me,” explains Dr. Sarandeep Sonu Gaind, today one of Canada’s most respected psychiatrists and a recent recipient of Le Prix de distinction des anciens élèves de TFS. Dr. Gaind has devoted his life’s work to helping people with mental health issues and to changing the negative perception surrounding mental illness in general, laying the groundwork for policy changes in the health care system.
Scholarships do indeed open up a world of possibilities, for the talented young recipient, for his or her classmates and for the school itself. The welcome inclusion of bright young minds with a broad range of perspectives, talents and backgrounds promises a diverse, dynamic and energetic student body, reflecting the real world and enriching the academic experience of all students. Today, the best private and independent schools in North America are prioritizing the recruitment of high-achieving students through scholarships, as a means to deepen academic excellence and broaden the socio-economic diversity of their student community.
Attracting a diverse range of talented students is something that TFS has been doing exceptionally well for over 50 years. Now we have an opportunity to broaden the diversity of our community through an Entrance Scholarships program, planned to get underway in 2016-17 once 50% of the project goal has been raised. TFS will designate two scholarship spaces for Grade 7, a good entry point for a competitive scholarship program, given that it is an entry grade year for other independent schools in our area.
Identifying the Entrance Scholarships program as a strategic priority for the school, TFS seeks to raise $1 million through Soaring Beyond: The Campaign for TFS. This $1 million restricted, non-endowed scholarship fund will enable the program to grow to support 12 students each year by the program’s sixth year. Ongoing annual fundraising thereafter will maintain the Entrance Scholarships program in perpetuity, ensuring that TFS will always attract the brightest and the best from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.
These scholarships will be awarded based on both merit and financial need, assisting families who believe in the exceptional international education TFS offers, but are unable to meet the full financial commitment of tuition. Selection will be made by through academic review by a Scholarship Committee, along with independent review by Apple Financial Services, to determine financial need. Recipients who meet the merit and financial need requirements will then receive a $20,000 scholarship, renewable each year through to graduation, provided they maintain the high academic standards required by the program and the family continues to demonstrate financial need.
Scholarships are investments that pay big dividends. They benefit not only the gifted child but they also seed our world with brilliant individuals who go on to make lasting and positive contributions regardless of their field of endeavour – be it science, medicine, academia or the arts. Scholarships tend to have a far-reaching ripple effect. Just ask the many people whose lives have been positively impacted by the knowledge, vision and compassion of Dr. Gaind.