Simon Fraser University
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Retirees Association

Guide

SFURA Scholarship for First-Generation Graduate Students

June 02, 2025
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Celebrating SFU’s 60th Anniversary with a Special Legacy

To mark SFU’s 60th anniversary, the SFU Retirees Association (SFURA) is launching a new scholarship dedicated to first-generation graduate students – students who are the first in their families to pursue graduate studies.

Our Goal
Our goal is to raise $40,000 to create an endowment that will provide annual financial support to graduate students in perpetuity. All donations are tax-deductible, and you will be provided with a tax receipt.

SFU: A University Built on Inclusion and Excellence
Founded during a time of rapid growth and change in the lower mainland, SFU was established to meet the educational needs of an expanding population. From its early days as an “instant university,” SFU has upheld a strong commitment to accessibility, innovation, and academic excellence. Yet graduate school presents unique challenges. This scholarship will provide support for students who are the first members of their families to navigate the complexities of graduate education.

Why Focus on First-Generation Graduate Students?
Many SFURA members were once first-generation graduate students themselves, facing challenges such as:

  • Financial hardship – Balancing tuition, research, and living costs in one of Canada’s most expensive urban regions.
  • Lack of academic mentorship – Navigating graduate school without the support of family members familiar with academic culture.
  • Cultural and social barriers – Learning unwritten expectations, from conference etiquette to securing research funding.
  • Intersectional challenges – Many first-generation graduate students come from backgrounds that reflect poverty, immigration, and underrepresented communities.

Despite these obstacles, first-generation graduate students bring invaluable perspectives and enrich the university community. They question traditional norms, drive institutional change, and serve as role models for future students.

Join Us in Making a Difference
By contributing to this scholarship, you are investing in the next generation of scholars, leaders, and change-makers. Your support will help ensure that SFU remains a place where all students—regardless of background—can thrive in graduate studies and beyond. Together, we can create even more opportunities for SFU’s first-generation students.

To donate, please visit the SFU Advancement donation page

Tax Credit Information

In Canada, donors receive tax credits of 15% on their first $200 donated and 29% on amounts exceeding that, up to 75% of your net income.

The SFURA will be matching the first $5000 of donations to the scholarship so early donors can double their impact on their fund. (Your tax receipt will only be for your actual donation.)

Additionally, the SFURA will be donating all profits from our new book to the new scholarship — A Magical Time: The Early Days of the Arts at Simon Fraser University. (Books may also be purchased from the SFU Bookstore for $38.)

Voices from Graduate Students

Micheal Obakhavbaye: 
Being a first-generation graduate student requires me to learn by doing. When I try to convey the intensity and expectations of graduate school to my family, they just can't comprehend it, so I have to refrain from talking too much about the challenges so that I don't come across as making a big deal out of nothing. It is more difficult because I come from a developing country where family expect me to start supporting them economically without realizing the financial burden, time restrictions, and stress that graduate school brings. It's more like drowning, but you maintain your nose on the surface just to get air for every second of the experience.

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Voices from SFURA Members

Frances Atkinson:
In the 1970s I did my graduate studies in London, moving (or more precisely fleeing) from Northern Ireland at the height of what was known as The Troubles (euphemism for civil war.) I grew up on a subsistence farm in a remote rural area. My parents were educated only to age 14. The culture I encountered — urban, middle-class, peacetime students and professors — was profoundly different and entirely unfamiliar. Many first generation graduate students find the university experience very alien from their home cultures. Some are survivors of current wars. By offering financial support, this scholarship will help first generation graduate students to survive and to thrive.

Gladys We
My family moved to Canada when I was eight years old, and my parents expected me to be an obedient Chinese girl. Those of you who know me will understand how that was never going to be a possibility for me! When I graduated from high school, my father asked me what I was doing next, and he was surprised when I told him that I’d received an SFU scholarship and would be heading to university. When I attended my first university conference, I called my boyfriend in tears because it seemed like everyone knew each other and I knew nobody — I now build “welcome newcomers” tactics into my events. This scholarship will support a unique and diverse group of graduate students and help bring their valuable perspectives and strengths into the conversation of academia.