A local accessible housing organization has swapped shelter for school by awarding residents its new higher-education scholarship. 

Calgary Housing announced the winners of its inaugural bursary, the Stability for Success Educational Scholarship, this month, providing recipients with a financial boost to support their pursuit of post-secondary studies.

Meaghan Bell, leader of program and system planning at Calgary Housing, said the bursary was originally $10,000, divided among four winners. But with a higher-than-expected demand of 60 applications since it opened in May, they increased the available slots to five. 

Each recipient has been awarded $2,500 toward higher education costs, bringing the total bursary funding paid directly by the organization to $12,500. Bell said that they made investing in their futures a priority in their budget. 

She explained that they intended for the eligibility criteria to be simple and straightforward, with the only requirements being that applicants lived in a Calgary Housing complex, had proof of enrollment at an accredited institution, and demonstrated financial need. 

“We really wanted it to be open to residents and be low barrier,” said Bell. 

“What we thought was a bit unique in our program is that it wasn’t just based on academic performance…we really wanted to support residents, no matter where they were on their journey.”

The organization provides affordable, mixed-income model housing subsidized through partnership with the city and provincial governments. Bell said that all five winners are entering programs related to public service, which coincidentally aligns with their motto.

“I think it really is a reflection of the things that shape us and transform us,” she said. 

“I think the experiences of wanting to be a part of community, wanting to give back — that’s really universal and a really beautiful part of community.”

Award recipient says money helps with ‘easing the burden’

One award winner, Zaima Anwar, 18, has been living in a Calgary Housing facility with her family for almost five years. She skipped a grade in high school, so this fall marks the start of her second year at the University of Calgary. 

She started in the archaeology program but has since transferred to biomedical engineering. Anwar said that she works nearly 20 hours a week on top of being a student, and that the scholarship will help alleviate some of the budgetary stress. 

“It really just helps ease the financial burden,” she said. 

“It also helps give me the confidence to keep pursuing what I want to pursue, regardless of the worry about finances and money.”

Anwar said that her mother is who inspired her to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering.

“I kind of watched her go through having arthritis and just being chronically ill with it,” she said. 

“There’s not really a cure — she just has to take treatments to ease the pain, really, and with that comes a bunch of side effects and whatnot.”

The profession, Anwar explained, differs from medicine in that it focuses on solving problems from an engineering perspective, emphasizing how modern technology can be used rather than on researching theories. 

She said she is still narrowing down exactly how she wants to apply her education, but she would eventually like to earn a master’s degree in the field. Stem cells are one of her areas of interest, specifically how they can help people with chronic illnesses and disabilities.

“With me going into that, I can make a better impact on my community and a better impact on the world later down the line,” said Anwar. 

“I really want to go into research for that reason, to see what I could do to help, and to maybe just impact the people that are also dealing with relatively the same things.”

Calgary Housing said it hopes to continue offering the scholarship, with applications for the 2027/28 school year expected to open sometime next spring.