Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation

The foundation distributed $325 million in the form of bursaries and scholarships each year throughout Canada in support of post-secondary education.

The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation was created by an Act of Parliament in 1998 by the then Liberal government under Jean Chrétien.

Branded as Canada's way to marking the new millennium, the Foundation was endowed with CAD$2.5 billion and was given the mandate to 1) improve access to post-secondary education for all Canadians, especially those facing economic or social barriers, to 2) encourage a high level of student achievement and engagement in Canadian society; and to 3) build a national alliance of organizations and individuals around a shared post-secondary agenda.

The MEAP was unique because of its Canada-wide reach - whether a student lived in a major metropolitan area or in a remote village, anyone could apply and be evaluated based on their contribution to their community.

It ensured that policy-making and public discussion about opportunities in higher education in Canada were informed by rigorous analysis and empirical evidence.

Much controversy has come to light since the government has announced this program, in which 250,000 students will now benefit per year, as opposed to the approximately 100,000 that are receiving money from the CMSF.