Purpose

The Indigenous Student Bursary provides aid to Indigenous students with financial need who are attending publicly–assisted colleges and universities in Ontario or Aboriginal education and training institutions in Ontario. This bursary is available to students who are in postsecondary programs including academic programs (e.g. degree and diploma programs) as well as training programs (e.g. apprenticeships).

Amount of Aid

The amount of bursary available varies and can range from $1,000 to $3,500. The actual amount awarded is determined by your school. Contact your school’s financial aid office for further information.

Who Can Get This Aid

You must meet the following eligibility requirements in order to be considered for this bursary:

• You’re attending a publicly-assisted college or university in Ontario or an approved Aboriginal education and training institution in Ontario.
• You self-identify as being an Aboriginal person (see definition, below) and/or you self-identify with a First Nations, Inuit or Metis cultural or ancestral background You meet citizenship and Ontario residency requirements as outlined on the OSAP Application for Full-Time Students.
• You have demonstrated financial need based on the criteria as set out by your school.

Note:

• Applying for either OSAP for Full-Time Students or OSAP for Part-Time Students is not a requirement of this bursary.
• Your school may have additional eligibility requirements in addition to those listed above. For example, some schools require that you be in full-time studies. Contact your school’s financial aid office for complete details.

Aboriginal Person

An Aboriginal person in Canada, as recognized in the Constitution Act, 1982, is a person who identifies with First Nations (Status/Non-Status), Métis, or Inuit cultural and/or ancestral background.

How to Apply

Application is available on MyCampus under DC Financial Aid Tab.  Please note this is a two part application and requires an online submission and a hard copy declaration form which can be found on MyCampus under DC Financial Aid tab > Forms.

Deadlines

For September Start students, the application will be open: September to October 20th

For January Start students, the application will be open: January to February 20th

How You Get Your Aid

Your school will determine how this bursary is issued (e.g. by cheque, reducing outstanding fees, etc.). Contact your school for details on how they issue this bursary.

How to Check the Status of Your Application

Contact your school’s financial aid office with any questions that you have on the status of your Indigenous Student Bursary application.