Students from the Kingston and surrounding area attending Queen’s University will benefit from a $5 million gift announced today.

The Joyce Foundation Bursary at Queen's will provide bursaries to at least 32 students annually. Eligible undergraduate students will receive up to $5,000 with preference given to students from the Kingston area. Students will receive the bursary for each of their four years of undergraduate study at Queen's to ensure the greatest amount of financial predictability.

“This is an important day for our future students," says Daniel Woolf, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. "We are deeply grateful to The Joyce Foundation for this major gift because bursaries are extremely important. This form of student assistance gives bright students from lower income backgrounds the chance to attend university and participate in the Queen's experience."

Bursaries are non-repayable and provided to students admitted to Queen's who have demonstrated financial need. Queen's currently provides approximately $10 million in need-based financial aid annually for approximately 2,800 undergraduate students in first-entry programs of study with the average bursary in the range of $3,400.

"The Joyce Foundation is dedicated to supporting the social, economic and emotional well-being of children and youth by empowering them to develop into healthy, confident, independent contributors to Canadian society," said Ron Joyce of The Joyce Foundation.

The Joyce Foundation is a private, family foundation created by celebrated Canadian entrepreneur Ron Joyce, LLD'99, whose philosophy reflects his deep-rooted sense of responsibility to give back to community. Queen’s awarded Mr. Joyce an honorary degree in 1999 recognizing his contributions as an outstanding Canadian philanthropist and entrepreneur.