Education – BCAAFC

Applications – please review application requirements below

Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) | Application 2020-2021

First Citizens Fund (FCF) Student Bursary Program | Application 2019-2020

All set? Please send your applications to:

education@bcaafc.com
Phone: (250) 388-5522

*Funding is limited, not all students may be funded. Partial funding may be provided.

Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP)

PSSSP | Who’s eligible?

Northwest Territory or Nunavut Inuit students who have been residing in British Columbia for 12 consecutive months;
British Columbia registered members who do not have band membership or an affiliation with a band (BC General List); and
Status Indian students who are affiliated with a BC First Nation as indicated on status card but do not have band membership

PSSSP | Application checklist:

Completed and signed application form (four pages)
Documentary proof that you meet the eligibility criteria (Northwest Territory or Nunavut Inuit students or BC First Nation students)
Verification of dependents claimed (birth certificate)
Courses outlines and approximate fees for the applicable program
Proof of acceptance or conditional acceptance into a post-secondary program of studies

First Citizens Fund (FCF) Student Bursary Program

FCF | Who’s eligible?

Indigenous post-secondary student (status, non-status, Métis, Inuit) in financial need

Permanent resident in BC for at least six months at time of application

International students are not eligible unless a part of a BC program, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis

Registered full-time (see below) in a minimum two-year academic program at a BC recognized post-secondary institution

Undergraduate students, full-time: three full-credit courses per term
Students with a disability affecting academic performance, full-time: two full-credit courses per term
Graduate students, full-time: a letter from your academic supervisor confirming progress at a full-time level

A minimum 2.5 GPA or C+ grade equivalent for each semester of the term

FCF | Application checklist:

From your post-secondary institution

Your official transcript at the end of each semester of the term: MUST be submitted at the end of each term to qualify
A completed, signed and dated application form for the proper academic year
Proof of full-time registration
Graduate students: a letter from your academic advisor and their contact information on the academic institution’s letterhead

Letters of support

A letter written by the applicant on ancestry, family background, education, employment history, and career or academic goal

Supporting documents

Evidence of Indigenous ancestry
Students with a disability affecting academic performance (one of the following): a medical certificate from a licensed practitioner; a learning disability assessment; a verification of permanent disability form (signed and certified by the prescribing practitioner.

Other education opportunities

Whether you are working towards a degree, diploma, certificate, or other qualification, we want you to access the financial resources applicable to you.

Indigenous Youth Internship Program (IYIP)—(ages 19 to 29, all Indigenous students) a government run 12-month paid internship program for Indigenous students living in British Columbia.

Indigenous Bursary Search Tool—look for additional bursaries that you may be eligible for.

AgedOut.com—resources for youth in and from government care in BC.

BC Indigenous Awards (The Irving K. Barber BC Scholarship Society)—awards range from $1,000-$5,000 and are renewable to provide funding over multiple years (Deadline to apply: April 24, 2020).

2020 Indigenous Student Awards Program (RBC)—ten scholarships up to $4,000 per academic year, for two to four years. (Deadline to apply: February 28, 2020).

Emerging Artist Scholarship Program (YVR Art Foundation)—up to eight scholars per year, $5,000 each. Awarded to artists who create visual art that reflects BC or Yukon First Nations culture and who wish to develop their art practice through education or mentorships. (Deadline to apply: January 30, 2020).

HERE’S WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS…

Working With Our Communities

“Thank you for the wonderful bursary. Your gift has gone to pay for spring semester and the cost of living while being a student. For your generous gift, I will forever be grateful. I will repay you with the work I will be doing in community as a result.”

Achieving Goals

“Thank you for your continued support of my education by endowing me with a student bursary. This bursary has gone towards my tuition at law school. It will help me to work towards my goal of Indigenous self determination and equality.”

Future Opportunities

“I just wanted to say thank you to the BCAAFC. I am now finished my Business Degree program and am interested in Sustainability Management. I would like to start my own business in green house gas measurement and accountability and provide solutions to one of the biggest problems of our time: climate change. I hope to one day hire, employ, and restore the land that First Nations people roam and enjoy.”

Motivation for Life-Long Learning

“My time at university has taught me to trust in my abilities to tackle any problem set before me, while my education has motivated me to be a life learner. I cannot thank you enough for your financial support in making my education a reality. I would certainly not be where I am today without your support.”