Helping you get started in forestry

Canfor has well-established scholarship programs and partnerships with local high schools and post-secondary institutions to support students with strong interest in the forest industry and wish to pursue a career in forestry by way of continued education. We also provide financial aid to students in other areas of studies related to our business, such as trades programs, environmental sciences, technology, finance, business and more.

High School Scholarships

Canfor offers graduating high school students in its operating communities up to a maximum of four (4) $1,000 scholarships per school to help support our future foresters, business and wood products manufacturing leaders, and skilled tradespersons.

Public and provincially- or state- funded independent high schools with catchment in the following Canfor operating communities are eligible:

Canada

  • • Burns Lake

    • Chetwynd

    • Cranbrook

    • Creston

    • Elko

    • Fernie

    • Fort St. James

    • Fort St. John

    • Fraser Lake

    • Houston

    • Invermere

    • Prince George/Bear Lake

    • Radium Hot Springs

    • Vanderhoof

    • Wyndell

  • • Grande Prairie

    • Whitecourt

    • Fox Creek

    • Acheson/Parkland County

USA

  • • Fulton

    • Jackson

    • Mobile

  • • El Dorado

    • Urbana

  • • Moultrie

    • Thomasville

    • Washington

  • • DeRidder

  • • Hermanville

  • • Graham

  • • Camden

    • Conway

    • Darlington

    • Estill

    • Marion

    • Myrtle Beach

  • Scholarship value and number of awards

    Up to a maximum of four (4) $1,000 awards are available per school based on the size of the graduating class and annual scholarship program allocations.

    • Less than 50 students: 1 award
    • 50 to 100 students: 2 awards
    • 100 to 150 students: 3 awards
    • More than 150 students: 4 awards

  • Student eligibility

    Must be a Canadian or US citizen or permanent resident graduating from a high school in one of Canfor’s operating areas.

    Be enrolling in an eligible post-secondary program that could support a sustainable forest industry (see examples under Areas of Study).

Scholarships are available to support post-secondary areas of study that help lead to rewarding careers in the forest industry. Programs such as:

Eligible programs & studies

    • Forestry/Forest Ecology & Management

    • Wood Products Manufacturing

    • Process, Mechanical or Chemical Engineering

    • Carpentry

    • Electrician

    • Heavy-duty mechanic

    • Instrument Mechanic

    • Millwright

    • Pipefitter

    • Power Engineer

    • Sawfiler / Benchman

    • Welder

    • Accounting

    • Business Administration

    • Business Technology

    • Finance

    • Human Resources

    • Marketing

    • Supply Chain Management

Application process

Eligible students must complete the fillable PDF application form and submit it to their school counsellor/Awards contact who reviews the application for eligibility and completeness.

Nominating students

We rely on high schools to review student eligibility and recommend individuals by nominating students for Canfor’s approval. Nominations are made by completing this online nomination form and attaching the student’s completed application form. A separate nomination form is required for each student being nominated.

Eligible schools are invited to download the Scholarship Toolkit below.

  • High School Scholarship Information sheet (download)

  • Poster/student handout (download)

  • Scholarship program description and an image for parent and student communications, as appropriate (download description and image)

All nominations must be received by Thursday, April 17, 2025 (USA) / Friday, May 9, 2025 (Canada).

Conditions & restrictions

Where there are multiple qualified applicants, students related to a Canfor employee shall have priority, with remaining scholarships awarded based on strength of the application.

Students of Canfor employees who are winners of a 2025 Bentley-Prentice Award (a Canfor internal awards program) will not be eligible to receive a Canfor High School Scholarship. Students are encouraged to apply to both awards programs and will be awarded the higher value scholarship of which they are eligible.

  • For Children of Canfor Employees

    Bentley-Prentice Scholarship

    This scholarship commemorates the founders of our company and was established in 2013. It recognizes academic excellence among children of current Canfor employees who plan to pursue a career in forestry or a relevant trade.

    There are six scholarships available each year and will be divided across our operations, both in Canada and in the U.S. Students receiving these awards will receive a payment of up to $5,000 to cover the cost of first-term books and tuition. Recipients will not be eligible for any other Canfor scholarships in the same year.

    If you are a Canfor employee and have a child who may be eligible of the Bentley-Prentice Award, please contact your local HR rep for more information.

  • Awards for Indigenous Students

    New Relationship Trust Foundation (NRTF) Scholarships:

    These scholarships are administered by NRTF specifically for Indigenous students in Canfor’s operating communities. While Indigenous students are eligible in all other scholarship categories, Canfor’s partnership with NRFT provides dedicated support for Indigenous students entering our targeted education streams. Five (5) $2,000 bursaries will be awarded.

    How to Apply: This program is administered by the NRT. Those interested in applying should contact them directly.

    The awards are sponsored by Canfor, but are not directly administered through our Corporate Office.

Post-secondary Scholarships

We're proud to partner with post-secondary institutions to provide scholarships to students in forestry, wood products manufacturing and other forestry-related engineering and trades programs. These scholarships are managed directly by our partner institutions. For more information, please visit the following institutions online: