If you left school years ago and now need a new credential to stay employed, change industries, or finally finish a professional designation, most scholarships will ignore you. They are built for teenagers heading to first-year university.
The RBC Reimagine Scholarship is different. It is one of the few national awards in Canada written specifically for adult learners aged 25 and older who have been out of school for at least three years. In 2026 it will award 100 scholarships of up to $5,000 each.
That matters right now. Cycle 1 is closed. Cycle 2 opened on August 31, 2026 and closes on October 8, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. EST. The program reviews only the first 500 complete applications per cycle. If that cap is hit, the portal shuts down even if the calendar deadline has not arrived.
This guide covers who can apply, which programs qualify, what the money covers, and how to submit a complete file before the window closes.
Scholarship Summary
- Host Country: Canada
- Host University: Canadian colleges, universities, vocational schools, and recognized training providers
- Scholarship Type: MSC Scholarships
- Eligible Countries: Canada only. Applicants must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents, Protected Persons, or Convention Refugees.
- Scholarship Benefits: Partial Funding, etc.
Overview of RBC Reimagine Scholarship
The award sits inside the RBC Next Step Scholarships suite, launched in January 2026 as a $1.5 million annual commitment to close Canada’s skills gap. The suite has three tracks: Ignite for youth aged 16 to 20, Elevate for first-time post-secondary students aged 17 to 29, and Reimagine for working-age adults who need to upskill or change careers.
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Reimagine is the adult track. It is designed for people who already have work history, who stepped away from formal education, and who now need a diploma, postgraduate certificate, Master’s degree, trade ticket, professional designation, or a stackable micro-credential series in a field with stronger job demand.
Universities Canada administers the program and runs the selection committees. Applications are submitted through the Scholarship Partners Canada portal, not through a bank branch.
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Who Can Apply: RBC Reimagine Scholarship Eligibility
You should apply only if every point below is true.
- You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or you have official status as a Protected Person or Convention Refugee from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Refugee claimants are not eligible.
- You are 25 or older at the time you apply.
- You have been out of school for three or more years since your last completed degree, diploma, or certificate.
- You are working or looking for work. Retired applicants are not eligible.
- You can show that you need financial help to start or continue the program.
- You are entering or already enrolled in an eligible part-time or full-time program.
- You are not an RBC employee and not a dependent of an RBC employee.
Financial need is assessed through the application itself. You do not need a bank statement package that looks like a mortgage file, but you do need to be honest and complete. Incomplete need information is an easy way to be screened out.
What the Scholarship Pays For
Each award is worth up to $5,000. One hundred awards are available in 2026.
The money is meant for the learning opportunity, not for a laptop, tools, work boots, software subscriptions, or commuting. Payment is directed to the approved Canadian provider. Marketplace platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning are excluded.
Think of it as a targeted tuition grant, not a living stipend and not a full-ride package. If your program costs more than $5,000, you will still need other funding. If it costs less, the award is typically capped at actual eligible costs.
Eligible Programs: What Counts and What Does Not
This is where many strong applicants lose time. The scholarship is generous about program type, but strict about duration, provider, and structure.
Formal credentialed programs
These must last at least 16 weeks and no more than three years, whether you study part time or full time:
- Diplomas, including advanced and technical diplomas
- Postgraduate certificates or diplomas
- CEGEP technical programs that run three years
- Master’s degrees
Career certification and trades training
Courses that lead to a recognized professional or trade credential or apprenticeship pathway can qualify. Official examples include CPA studies, PMP, Certified Financial Planner, TESL, the Canadian Securities Course, healthcare recertification, Canadian credential recognition, HVAC technician, electrician, occupational health and safety, and forest management.
Stackable micro-credentials
A single short course is not enough. The modules must form a related series that leads to a recognized credential or certificate, with a combined total of at least 40 instructional hours. Examples listed by RBC include digital marketing, cybersecurity, data analysis, UX design, applied AI, web development, and non-profit management.
The program must be offered by a Canadian education institution with recognized provincial degree- or diploma-granting powers, or by an affiliate such as a vocational school, college, or university. Study can be in person, online, or hybrid, as long as the provider is Canadian and recognized. The program should be upcoming or already in progress when you apply.
What is not eligible
- Four-year undergraduate degrees and most professional first degrees
- Doctoral programs
- Two-year pre-university DEC programs
- Preparatory-year programs
- Standalone micro-courses that are not part of a stackable series
- Courses on Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, and similar platforms
- Programs longer than three years
If your goal is a first bachelor’s degree, look at the RBC Elevate Scholarship instead. If you are 16 to 20 and need a short job-ready course, look at the RBC Ignite Scholarship.
2026 Application Dates and the 500-Application Cap
| Cycle | Application window | Hard stop |
|---|---|---|
| Cycle 1 | April 13 to June 4, 2026 | 1:00 p.m. on June 4, or earlier at 500 applications |
| Cycle 2 | August 31 to October 8, 2026 | 1:00 p.m. EST on October 8, or earlier at 500 applications |
Cycle 1 is over. Cycle 2 is the live window. Treat the published date as a ceiling, not a guarantee. The first 500 complete files are the only ones reviewed.
That cap is the most important operational detail in this competition. A polished essay submitted on October 7 is worthless if the portal already closed on September 20.
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How to Apply, Step by Step
- Confirm that your program, age, gap in studies, and residency status all fit the rules.
- Create an account on the Scholarship Partners Canada Reimagine portal.
- Gather proof of acceptance or enrolment, provider details, and any HST/GST number the form requests so funds can be paid to the school or training organization.
- Complete the financial-need section carefully.
- Write a clear personal statement that explains the career you are leaving or growing, the skill gap you need to close, why this specific program is the right next step, and how $5,000 changes what you can start now.
- Submit early. Do not wait for the last week.
Technical help is available through the portal’s online support request form if the login or upload tools fail.
How to Write a Stronger Application
Selection is not a lottery among 500 files. It is a review of fit, need, and a credible plan.
Lead with the job outcome, not the course catalogue. “I am moving from retail operations into cybersecurity analysis and this 40-hour-plus stackable credential series is the requirement listed on the roles I am already interviewing for” is stronger than “I have always wanted to try tech.”
Name the three-year gap without apology. The program exists because that gap is common. Explain what you did in the meantime: work, caregiving, layoff, immigration credential delay, industry decline.
Show that the program is eligible on its face. State the length, the credential it leads to, and the Canadian provider. Reviewers should not have to guess whether your course is a Coursera certificate or a college postgraduate diploma.
Keep the budget honest. If tuition is $3,200, do not write as if you need $5,000 in living costs. The award is for the learning opportunity.
Apply once, completely. A half-finished draft that sits in the portal does not hold a place in the 500.
Why This Scholarship Exists
RBC has framed Next Step as a response to workforce disruption and uneven access to training. The bank’s own announcement projected significant skills disruption in Canada over the next decade and positioned the three scholarships as a way to reach first-job youth, first-time post-secondary students, and mid-career adults in one system.
For adult learners, that framing is practical. A $5,000 grant will not replace a salary. It can remove the last barrier to a college postgraduate certificate, a trade upgrade, or a Master’s course load that an employer will not fully fund.
It also sits beside, not instead of, other Canadian supports: provincial adult-training grants, apprenticeship loans, employer tuition plans, and regular student aid. Use Reimagine as one layer.
Common Mistakes That Waste an Application
- Applying with a four-year bachelor’s or a PhD plan
- Submitting a standalone six-hour online badge and calling it a micro-credential
- Waiting until early October and discovering the cap has already been reached
- Leaving the financial-need section thin
- Using an ineligible provider or a global MOOC platform
- Writing a generic “education is important” statement with no job target
- Assuming Cycle 1 rules still apply without checking Cycle 2 dates and the live portal notice
Official Links and Next Steps
- Program overview: https://www.rbc.com/dms/enterprise/scholarships.html
- Apply now: https://portal.scholarshippartners.ca/welcome/RBC-Reimagine-EN
- Launch announcement: RBC Next Step Scholarships news release
- Independent listing with current dates: Student Awards – RBC Reimagine Scholarships
If you meet the age, residency, and three-year-gap rules, and you already have an eligible Canadian program in hand, the next useful action is not more research. It is creating the portal account and submitting a complete file while Cycle 2 is still accepting applications.
The award is modest compared with a full university scholarship. For an adult who has already waited three years or more to go back, $5,000 at the right moment is often the difference between starting this term and delaying another year.