City, Trent to offer financial aid to local students in need
Students attending Trent University’s Durham GTA campus will soon have access to new support funding.
The City of Oshawa and Trent University have created a dedicated endowment fund to help students attend the university’s Durham campus.
Beginning in the 2021-2022 school year, the City of Oshawa Student Bursaries Endowment Fund will support Oshawa students who are enrolled at Trent University Durham GTA and have demonstrated socio-economic need.
“Trent has been part of our great city for more than 40 years. This bursary fund provides more academic options for students studying and living right here in Oshawa,” says Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter. “We are proud to partner with Trent University Durham on this endowment fund, which will create academic opportunities for those who need it most in our community.”
The endowment fund supports and advances action items related to poverty reduction in the City’s Poverty Reduction Approach, Diversity and Inclusion Plan and 2020-2023 Oshawa Strategic Plan.
The new fund complements Trent’s reputation as a leader in scholarships and bursaries, according to a press release from the city, and further supports the nearly $400,000 raised for student financial aid as part of the Campaign for Trent Durham GTA.
“Through this unique philanthropic partnership with the City of Oshawa, more students in the Oshawa area will receive help to pursue their dream of a university education,” says Julie Davis, vice-president of external relations and advancement at Trent, noting the financial aid will support 25 students each year.
The endowment fund is supported by a $100,000 contribution from Trent University, in exchange for an equivalent land transfer from the city of a 0.15-acre piece of property. This land is currently leased and will generate a small annual revenue, which will be added to the bursary fund, until such time as Trent’s use for the property is finalized, states the release.
“As Trent University Durham GTA looks to future growth, we want to demonstrate our support to the students who choose to study close to home, recognizing the value that higher education brings to the City of Oshawa, and indeed to the entire Region of Durham,” says Scott Henderson, dean and head of Trent University Durham GTA. “We are fortunate to be in a city that believes in what we are doing, and where we are headed. The next generation of community leaders is right here in Oshawa.”
Trent University acquires new land in Oshawa to expand campus
Trent University has acquired four new properties in Oshawa to expand its Durham campus.
Trent’s board of governors approved the purchase of the 1.9 acre parcel of land, which is adjacent to the Trent Durham GTA campus and “lays the groundwork for continued growth at the Thornton Road campus,” says the board.
Short and long-term use of the land is yet to be determined, however the board says it could help to address pending space needs for faculty and students, as well as an investment property for the university.
“This land purchase was an important opportunity to further affirm Trent’s commitment to the Oshawa community and the Durham Region,” says Dr. Leo Groarke, president and vice-chancellor of Trent University. “The expansion will alleviate some immediate needs on the Durham campus and cement the university’s long-term plans for strategic program development and growth in the Greater Toronto Area.”
Henderson says popular programming and rapidly developing area means great growth potential, which means more space.
“With our overall enrolment growing year over year, this acquisition will allow us to relocate some existing offices, labs and services, and give us the ability to welcome more students,” says Henderson. “In the longer term, this gives us space to develop new facilities that will meet the needs of the next generation of students.”