Algonquin College Announces the Audrey Lawrence AC Online Bursary

Posted on Wednesday, May 5th, 2021

Algonquin College is announcing the introduction of the Audrey Lawrence AC Online Bursary which will be awarded to full-time and part-time online learners in financial need.

The new bursary – one of the first of its kind in Ontario – is being established thanks to a generous gift of more than $15,000 from Algonquin Board of Governors’ member, Audrey Lawrence, and comes as the College celebrates the first anniversary of its highly successful AC Online campus.

The Audrey Lawrence AC Online Bursary will represent five separate bursaries. Two $6,000 bursaries will benefit full-time learners, with one preferably directed toward an Indigenous student. Three $1,000 bursaries will also be awarded to part-time students. Bursary application opens in the fall.

“Audrey is a true champion of our learners. Thanks to her generosity the lives of many students will be positively transformed,” said Algonquin College President and CEO Claude Brulé. “In setting out the criteria for this bursary, Audrey wished to support our AC Online campus, understanding its great potential to reach learners. This includes many Indigenous students who reside in more remote parts of the province and the country.”

Having taught Cree students in northern Quebec and being of Cree and Inuit ancestry herself, Audrey has been strongly aware of the needs of both Indigenous and remote learners.  Since then, she has had extensive management experience working in health, education, technology, and human resources in public, non-profit, and corporate sectors. She has served in leadership positions involved with issues affecting Indigenous communities and volunteers her time to numerous causes in the Ottawa region. 

“As a young woman I received a bursary that virtually paid for my College’s tuition. I was so thankful and it was a lifesaver as I was covering all my expenses on my own dime. I always have that memory in my head,” said Lawrence. “As I went on through my teaching career, I was teaching full-time, married, had a baby to care for, all while writing essays late at night to complete my degree by correspondence courses, the early version of distance learning.  I am very empathetic to the needs of distance learners.”

While distance education has long been a hallmark of Algonquin College, since the launch of its dedicated online campus a year ago, there has been a 26 per cent increase in online enrollments. This surge in growth includes over 13,000 unique students and 56,000 online course enrollments, both all-time highs for Algonquin College.

AC Online offers one of the largest selections of online programming amongst post-secondary institutions in Canada. Learners can choose to take a full course load or enroll a few courses at a time. They can opt for multiple start dates including some programs that have monthly intakes, and they benefit from personalized support from staff throughout their learning journey at the College.


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