TORONTO, ON - July 29, 2014 /CNW/ - Scotiabank and Yconic, parent company of StudentAwards.com, have partnered to announce $10,000 in new scholarship opportunities for international students studying in Canada. The Canadian IQ Scholarship will engage foreign students in Canadian culture and ease their transition into studying abroad.

In an effort to welcome international students to Canada and provide them with financial aid towards their studies, Scotiabank is offering eight students the chance to win $1,000 in scholarship funds, as well as a $250 'Canadian' prize package. International students studying in Canada, or planning to study in Canada, for the 2014/2015 academic year can enter to win online by participating in a fun and engaging Canadian trivia quiz contest. Students can access the scholarship through StudentAwards.com, Canada's largest student platform offering more than $100 million in financial opportunities annually.

"Our goal is to provide every student with the help they want when it comes to their education," said Rob Henderson, President and CEO of Yconic. "We are happy to be partnering with Scotiabank to offer financial assistance to international students who typically pay tuition fees three times greater than their Canadian counterparts."

International students who participate in the Canadian IQ Scholarship will also have the chance to learn more about Scotiabank'sStartRight^® Program for Newcomers, a banking package that aims to make settling in Canada easier for international students. The program offers solutions and advice to students interested in learning how to manage their personal finances and invest in their future.

"We are looking forward to the opportunities that the Canadian IQ Scholarship will create for international students," said Tracy Gomes, Scotiabank's Vice President of Multicultural & Aboriginal Banking. "Working with Yconic to offer this scholarship on the StudentAwards platform will help us reach a diverse set of students that we hope to assist in their pursuit of post-secondary studies in Canada."

StudentAwards.com and Scotiabank also jointly manage the Scotiabank National Scholarship and have partnered to createFundYourFuture.ca, a student-focused website that provides financial aid and advice for money management strategies. Together the Scotiabank-StudentAwards.com partnership brings $750,000 in financial support to the student community.

Students can participate in the Canadian IQ Scholarship trivia quiz from July 28, 2014 until October 7, 2014 at StudentAwards.com. Winners will be selected in late Fall, 2014.

About Yconic

Yconic builds partnerships with organizations and brands who service youth and who are passionate about authentically helping youth. Yconic engages with over three million young Canadians through its three properties; StudentAwards.com, Uthink.com and FundYourFuture.ca. StudentAwards.com is Canada's largest student platform with over 2.26 million registered members and over $100 million in financial opportunities. Uthink.com is Canada's largest youth focused market research panel with over 549,000 teen and young adult panelists. In partnership with Scotiabank, FundYourFuture.ca is a financial education portal that drives over 260,000 annual unique visitors.

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is a leading financial services provider in over 55 countries and Canada's most international bank. Through our team of more than 86,000 employees, Scotiabank and its affiliates offer a broad range of products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management, corporate and investment banking to over 21 million customers. With assets of $792 billion (as at April 30, 2014), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (BNS) and New York (BNS) Exchanges. Scotiabank distributes the Bank's media releases using CNW. For more information please visit www.scotiabank.com.

For more information, please contact:

Paula Worthington
Brookline Public Relations
E: pworthington@brooklinepr.com
P: (403) 538-5641 ext. 104