Frequently Asked Questions
Applicants need to submit four documents:
- Indigenous card (front and back)
- grades,
- proof of enrollment (registered in classes), and
- letter from Indigenous organization regarding educational funding.
Check with your Indigenous organization’s membership office.
A non-status First Nation person is required to submit a front and back copy of their parent’s Indigenous card and the student’s long form birth certificate or baptismal certificate. Both documents must list the student’s name and the parent’s name showing the link between student and parent.
No. Students must submit a letter confirming enrollment from the Registrar’s office or a class schedule stating full-time enrollment, student name and school terms.
Students are required to submit grades to qualify. Contact your last educational institution’s Registrar office to obtain your grades.
Students who were not enrolled in the 2022-2023 academic year will need to provide a copy of their marks from their most recently completed program or course.
- All students must submit a copy of the official confirmation letter from their First Nation and/or Inuit organization, stating whether you are being sponsored for the 2023-2024 academic year, or not being sponsored. If you are receiving band funding, the letter must provide a breakdown of the amounts you receive for tuition, books, and living allowance as it will reflect the amounts in your budget.
- Métis students receiving assistance from their Métis organization are required to submit the document as well.
Student applications are assessed on financial need, merit and giving back (community involvement).
- Awards are assessed on financial need, merit and giving back (community involvement).
- Bursaries are assessed on financial need, merit and giving back (community involvement).
- Scholarships are assessed on merit.
- Any source of volunteering, such as, your academic institution, your child’s school, elder care, family care, SPCA, Big Brother or Sister, local hospital, church, Indigenous organization (i.e. longhouse), sport’s team is beneficial to your application. (this is not an exhaustive list just examples)
- This area is viewed and scored, students who do not have any hours will not receive a score in this section and lower their chance of being successful.
Please note that due to the high volume of applications, only successful students will be notified.
Fortunately, you do not need to reapply to the next deadline if you haven’t heard from us. Your application will stay ‘live’ for all three deadlines during the September 2023 to August 2024 academic year. You only need to complete the application once per academic year to be considered for all applicable bursaries, scholarships, and awards.
This application is for students attending full-time with a minimum 60% course load.
All students are required to have a financial need to be eligible for a bursary. Indspire offers scholarships which are not based on financial need however there are very few scholarships.
Students are eligible once per academic year for an award through Indspire.
Only students studying at a graduate level outside of Canada are eligible for an award.
Students are not eligible if they are enrolled in a fellowship or residency program.
Awards cannot be deferred. Awards allocated by Jury must be directed to the program of study and the academic year specified on the application form.
Decisions of the Jury are final. If you did not receive an award, Indspire will work with you to strengthen your application for the next application deadline.
Most awards are electronically transferred to students personal banking account. Awards $10,000 and under, will be deposited in full. Awards over $10,000 will be deposited in 2 transactions, one in term applied and the 2nd payment in the subsequent term. There are certain awards that must be posted to a student’s academic account. Students will be notified if their award will be transferred to their institution.
Amounts vary. The amount of a bursary varies according to the assessed financial need of applicants, the number of applicants, fields of study, and the availability of funds.
If circumstances change it is important to contact the Education Department as soon as you are aware. The Education staff will advise how the change impacts your application and/or Jury’s decision.
