Athabasca University has dozens of scholarships for its undergraduate students. Most AU scholarships require students to apply for them. A cluster of AU scholarships have an application deadline of October 15. It’s not too early?nor too late?to organize your applications for these scholarships.

Here are the highlights for three of the AU undergraduate scholarships with an October 15 application deadline. For further details, and a complete list of AU scholarships, check out the AU Student Awards page.

AU Academic Leadership Scholarship. Worth $1,500. Minimum requirements include: enrolled in an AU undergrad degree program, at least 15 AU credits completed, and a minimum grade point average of 3.60. (If you’re a bit shy of the 3.60 GPA, consider the AU Community Leadership Award, described below.) This award may be for you if you can demonstrate leadership skills, if you contribute your time to your community, and/or if you participate in cultural or recreational activities. Your application package must include the fully completed application form, and a Letter of Recommendation from someone who can attest to your qualifications for the scholarship.

AU Community Leadership Award. Worth $1,500. Minimum requirements include: enrolled in an AU undergrad program, at least 15 AU credits completed, and a minimum grade point average of 3.00. This award may be for you if you can demonstrate leadership skills, a concern for the well-being of fellow citizens, community volunteerism, and/or participation in cultural or recreational activities. Your application package must include the fully completed application form, and a Letter of Recommendation from someone who can attest to your qualifications for the scholarship.

AU Institutional Leadership Scholarship. Worth $1,000. Minimum requirements include: enrolled in an AU undergrad program, at least 15 AU credits completed, and a minimum grade point average of 3.60. This award may be for you if you can demonstrate involvement in and contributions to AU’s community and/or its governance. Your application package must include the fully completed application form, and a Letter of Recommendation from someone who can attest to your qualifications for the scholarship.

For all scholarships requiring a Letter of Recommendation, be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Your referee must provide the letter, along with Letter of Recommendation form, in a sealed envelope with their signature across the seal. You must forward this sealed letter with your completed scholarship application form to AU’s Student Award Office, at the address printed on the application form.

AU scholarship applications cannot be made online, and e-mail applications are discouraged. In general, you can either mail your AU scholarship application to the address on the application form or submit it by fax. Be aware that fax is not suitable for the above three scholarships, which all require a sealed letter of recommendation. Mail is your best bet (courier is another option) and it’s wise to use a trackable service such as Xpresspost to ensure your application package arrives safely at AU.

Remember to check out the rest of the AU undergraduate scholarships on the Student Awards page. Scholarships with upcoming application deadlines are flagged with the deadline date in red. It’s not too early to get started on your application. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

Barbara Lehtiniemi is a writer, photographer, and AU student. She lives on a windswept rural road in Eastern Ontario. Follow Barbara on twitter @ThereGoesBarb.