Application Form and Qualification Criteria

Note: Applications must be received on or before June 30th, 2023 to be considered for funding for the 2023 – 2024 academic year. Please note that not all applicants will receive funding.

The primary goal of the Justin Eves Foundation is to assist disadvantaged learning disabled students with their post secondary education.

The current policy of the Justin Eves Foundation is to provide funding only to applicants who reside in Ontario and have graduated from an Ontario secondary school.

The Justin Eves Foundation will provide financial support for Ontario students with learning disabilities who meet the application criteria attending a Canadian college or university or a post-secondary institution outside of Canada appropriate to their needs.
An IEP only is not sufficient evidence to support your application alone. You must have a current (preferably no more than 3 years old) comprehensive assessment which satisfies the below criteria.|
While the committee will accept older documentation, students wanting academic accommodations in post secondary will need an updated assessment. The Justin Eves Foundation can provide applicants with information regarding how to obtain an updated assessment at low or no cost so that this is in place prior to starting school.

Checklist of documentation requirements for students with Learning Disabilities

Documentation must include all of the following

Documentation is provided by a clinician qualified and experienced in the diagnosis of LD. Diagnostician must be legally allowed to undertake the controlled act of diagnosis. All reports must be on letterhead, typed, dated, signed, and otherwise legible. Use of diagnostic terminology indicating a specific learning disability by someone whose training and experience are not in relevant fields is not acceptable.

Demonstration of academic underachievement relative to the average student. It is mandatory to document under-achievement (or in-class achievement attained only with much effort or support) in one or more academic areas (as evident both in the classroom and on standardized test results) disproportionate to intellectual ability.

Evidence that academic impairments are logically related to observed deficits in specific psychological processes. This would require administration of tests measuring specific processing skills associated with learning such as memory, phonological awareness, processing speed, attention, and executive functions. Note that a low score in an underlying process in the absence of a functional impact on academic performance is not sufficient to support the diagnosis of LD.

Evidence that the identified deficit causes functional impairments. The disturbance in academic functioning (e.g. reading, math, etc) significantly interferes with academic achievement or activities of daily living that require reading, writing or math skills.

Exclusion clause: Evidence that the identified impairments are not better explained by other conditions, environmental/educational deprivation, lack of motivation, cultural or linguistic diversity, psychological disturbance, or another co-existing condition.

Criteria for awarding Justin Eves Foundation basic grants (valued up to $3,000):

Criterion

Longstanding history of learning impairment (even if LD was not clearly diagnosed in childhood, it is clear that the individual has dealt with learning challenges since childhood).

Clear evidence that the learning problems are not better explained by other factors (such as acquired brain injury, Intellectual Disability, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, English as a second language, or psychiatric conditions).

Evidence that student has demonstrated personal initiative to overcome learning challenges.

Evidence of community involvement.

Evidence of academic success.

Financial need

**Please note that this criteria is a guideline only and is used at the discretion of our ‘closed-door’ committee to assess each application uniformly.

Additional Criteria for nomination as a “Friend” of the Justin Eves Foundation (only a few awarded each year, value up to $5,000):

Evidence that the student exemplifies the motto of the Justin Eves Foundation “He looked for the best in others; he gave the best of himself”.
Evidence that the student had to overcome adversity and thrived as a result of a positive attitude.
Evidence that student has given back to the community over and above the community service hours required for graduation in Ontario.
Clear evidence that the student meets all of the LD documentation criteria outlined on the JEF application.

Download an Application Form (MS Word)

Fillable PDF Application (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Once you have downloaded the application form, please complete and submit via e-mail to: ldelair@justinevesfoundation.com

If you have any issues submitting your application, please contact The Justin Eves Foundation office directly at:
ldelair@justinevesfoundation.com