A Grade 12 student from Medicine Hat is making it easier for Alberta students to find money for post-secondary education by bringing thousands of scholarship opportunities together on one free website.
Ilia Ivanov launched ScholarAB in March after experiencing firsthand how difficult it could be to find scholarship information in one convenient place. Rather than relying on multiple websites, he decided to build a resource that allows students to explore available funding without creating an account.
The platform features approximately 2,500 scholarships across 270 programs, representing about $7 million in potential awards. Of that total, roughly $3.3 million is currently available to applicants.
The website allows students to narrow their searches by location, award value and application deadline. Users can also bookmark scholarships they are interested in pursuing. The listings include opportunities specifically available to Northern & Central Alberta students.
Ivanov said the project grew out of his own search for financial assistance and a desire to create a tool that other students could use.
“I was looking for something like this myself, and I couldn’t find it, so I thought that with the knowledge, with the skills I have, I’ll just try to create it myself,” he said.
One of ScholarAB’s main features is its accessibility. Students can browse scholarship listings without registering or sharing personal details. Saved opportunities remain in the user’s browser, meaning the information is stored directly on their device rather than in a central database.
For students who want additional support keeping track of deadlines, the site also offers optional email reminders. Those who provide an email address can receive notifications 30 days, 14 days and three days before a scholarship application is due.
Since its launch, ScholarAB has attracted attention beyond Medicine Hat. The website recorded more than 10,000 visits over two days after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith shared it publicly.
Ivanov said he wanted to remove unnecessary obstacles from the scholarship search process and make financial opportunities easier for students to discover.
