Education Opportunities for Indigenous Students
Key Questions
What is the difference between a scholarship and a bursary?
A scholarship is a grant or payment made to support a student’s education, awarded based on academic or other achievement. A bursary is a monetary award made by an educational institution or funding authority to individuals or groups. It is usually awarded to help a student have the financial means to attend school.
What is the difference between Status and Non-status?
A status indigenous person refers to any First Nations person who is registered with the federal government or to a band that signed a treaty with the Crown. A non-status indigenous person refers to any First Nations person who is not registered with the federal government and not registered to a band which signed a treaty with the Crown. In 2013, it was established that non-status “Indians” have the same rights as “Indians”.
The Taggart Award for Algonquin Students
This award was created to support outstanding students who have demonstrated leadership skills and have given back to their community or are involved in extracurricular activities. The award is to be distributed to eligible students of Algonquin heritage from one of the 10 Algonquin communities represented by AOO who are attending a college, university, technical college, or an apprenticeship program in Canada.
Awards Criteria
- Awards Category: Post-Secondary Education
- Program of Study: Any, with first preference given to students enrolled in Business programs
- Level of Study: Any
- Indigenous Affiliation: Algonquin students from one of the following communities: Antoine; Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation; Bonnechere; Greater Golden Lake; Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini (Bancroft); Mattawa/North Bay; Ottawa; Shabot Obaadjiwan (Sharbot Lake); Snimikobi (Ardoch); Whitney and Area Application Deadlines: August 1, November 1, February 1.
To Learn More:
Visit the bilingual Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards program guidelines on the Indspire website to learn about all the funding offered to support post-secondary education.
Please read the program guidelines before filling out the application form at indspire.ca/apply
The Sylvia Bowerbank Memorial Bursary
The Sylvia Bowerbank Memorial Bursary recognizes Kijicho Manito Madaouskarini First Nation member Sylvia Bowerbank.
This bursary was established in 2005 by family and friends in memory of Dr. Sylvia Bowerbank who was a professor in the English department at McMaster University and was instrumental in setting up the Indigenous Studies program at McMaster.
This bursary is offered to female students enrolled in the Department of English and Cultural Studies at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario who demonstrate financial need. Preference is given to students who are part of an Indigenous community in Canada.
The bursary can be found on the McMaster University website under the in-course bursaries, Open to the Faculty of Humanities.

How does Financial Aid work?
Resources to explain financial aid in different provinces are as follows:
- Ontario: https://www.ontario.ca/page/learn-about-osap
- Alberta: https://studentaid.alberta.ca/
- British Columbia: https://studentaidbc.ca/explore/full-time
- Manitoba: https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/msa/planning-for-your-future/what-is-manitoba-student-aid.html
- Saskatchewan: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/education-and-learning/student-loans
- Quebec: http://www.afe.gouv.qc.ca/en/all-publications/detail/student-financial-assistance-1/
- New Brunswick: https://www2.gnb.ca/
- Nova Scotia: https://novascotia.ca/studentassistance/
- Newfoundland: https://www.gov.nl.ca/aesl/studentaid/
Helpful Sites for Indigenous Scholarships & Bursaries
National
- Federal Government Funding for Status* First Nations and Inuit students enrolled in eligible post-secondary programs: https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1100100033682/1531933580211
- Indigenous Bursaries Search Tool: https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1351687337141/1531406419657
- Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards for Post-Secondary Education: https://indspire.ca/programs/students/bursaries-scholarships/
- Canada Post Aboriginal Incentive Award for being Out of School for one year, and returning to studies, back to school for one year: https://www.canadapost.ca/cpc/en/our-company/giving-back-to-our-communities/canada-post-awards-for-indigenous-students.page
- Ontario Native Education Counselling Association Four Directions Scholarship Award: https://oneca.com/ps-student-award
- RBC Indigenous Students Awards Program: https://oneca.com/ps-student-award
- Jordan’s Principle Scholarship: https://fncaringsociety.com/jordan-principle-scholarship
Provincial
- Ontario Resource for Various Funding Opportunities: https://www.ontario.ca/page/indigenous-students
- Indigenous Student Bursary in Ontario: https://osap.gov.on.ca/OSAPPortal/en/A-ZListofAid/PRDR019231.html
- New Brunswick Financial Assistance: https://nbapc.org/programs-and-services/education-assistance/
University & College Resources by Province
Links for Indigenous Resources in Each Major University/College in Canada:
Ontario
Brock University (ALL awards)
https://brocku.ca/safa/awards-and-bursaries/
Carleton University
https://carleton.ca/awards/indigenous-students/
Lakehead University
Laurentian University
https://laurentian.ca/indigenous-programs/student-resources
McMaster University
https://registrar.mcmaster.ca/aid-awards-for-indigenous-students/
Queen’s University
https://www.queensu.ca/studentawards/indigenous
Ryerson University
https://www.ryerson.ca/aboriginal/resources/postsecondary/
Trent University
https://www.trentu.ca/fphl/student-success/financial-assistance-indigenous-students
University of Guelph
https://www.uoguelph.ca/studentexperience/indigenous-student-financial-matters/
University of Ottawa
https://www.uottawa.ca/indigenous/your-academic-journey/financial-aid
University of Toronto (ALL awards)
https://future.utoronto.ca/finances/scholarships/
https://future.utoronto.ca/finances/financial-aid/
University of Waterloo
University of Windsor
https://www.uwindsor.ca/law/aboriginal/4/financial-aid
Western University
https://indigenousscholarship.uwo.ca/student_opportunities/index.html
Wilfrid Laurier University
York University
https://sfs.yorku.ca/scholarships/funding-for-indigenous-students
Manitoba
Brandon University
https://www.brandonu.ca/ipc/financial-aid-scholarships-and-bursaries/
Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology
https://mitt.ca/admissions/student-loans-awards-and-bursaries
Red River College
https://www.rrc.ca/indigenous/supports/awards/
The University of Winnipeg
https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/indigenous/for-students/indigenous-financial-aid.html
University of Manitoba
http://umanitoba.ca/financial-aid-and-awards/indigenous/
Saskatchewan
First Nations University of Canada (ALL)
University of Regina
https://urconnected.uregina.ca/aboriginal/aboriginal-safa.ezc
University of Saskatchewan
https://admissions.usask.ca/indigenous-students.php#Funding
Alberta
University of Alberta
University nuhelot’įne thaiyots’į nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills University
MacEwan University
https://www.macewan.ca/wcm/CampusLife/kihewwaciston/FundingResources/index.htm
Concordia University of Edmonton
https://concordia.ab.ca/scholarship-category/indigenous/
University of Calgary
https://www.ucalgary.ca/registrar/finances/awards-scholarships-and-bursaries/indigenous-awards
Ambrose University
https://ambrose.edu/tags/indigenous
Mount Royal University
https://www.mtroyal.ca/Admission/MoneyMatters/IndigenousFunding/index.htm
St. Mary’s University
https://smu.ca/indigenous-community/financial-aid.html
University of Lethbridge
https://www.uleth.ca/ross/student-finance/fnmi-awards
Athabasca University
https://news.athabascau.ca/announcements/indigenous-student-awards-apply-now
British Columbia
University of the Fraser Valley
https://ufv.ca/fineaid/awards/ufv-scholarships/miscellaneous/indigenous-awards/
Simon Fraser University
https://www.sfu.ca/students/financialaid/aboriginal-students.html
Emily Carr University of Art and Design
https://www.ecuad.ca/student-life/financial-aid-awards/funding-for-aboriginal-students
Kwantien Polytechnic University
https://www.kpu.ca/indigenous/awards
University of British Columbia
https://you.ubc.ca/financial-planning/scholarships-awards-canadian-students/indigenous-students/
Vancouver Island University (ALL)
https://services.viu.ca/financial-aid-awards/scholarships-awards
University of Victoria
https://www.uvic.ca/registrar/safa/entrance-scholarships/dept/indigenous-students.php
University of Northern British Columbia
https://www.unbc.ca/aboriginal-resource-dati/students/awards-financial-aid-aboriginal-students
Québec
Concordia University
https://www.concordia.ca/students/aboriginal/awards-bursaries.html
McGill University
https://www.mcgill.ca/studentaid/special-funding/indigenous-student-funding
Bishop’s University
Université de Montréal
https://www.umontreal.ca/en/indigenouspeoples/
New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick (ALL)
https://nbcc.ca/scholarships-bursaries-awards
St. Thomas University
https://www.stu.ca/indigenous_student_services/
Nova Scotia
Dalhousie University
https://www.dal.ca/campus_life/communities/indigenous/Financial_ISC.html
Mount Saint Vincent University (ALL)
University of King’s College (ALL)
https://ukings.ca/admissions/finances/scholarships/undergraduate/
NSCAD University
https://www.nscc.ca/services/advising/first-nations-student-services.asp
Cape Breton University
https://www.cbu.ca/indigenous-affairs/unamaki-college/scholarships-bursaries/
Acadia University
https://www2.acadiau.ca/student-life/indigenous-students.html
Newfoundland and Labrador
Memorial University of Newfoundland
https://www.mun.ca/indigenous/students/isrc/index.php
Prince Edward Island
University of Prince Edward Island (ALL)
https://www.upei.ca/scholarships-and-awards/externalawards
Yukon
Yukon University (ALL)
https://www.yukonu.ca/admissions/money-matters/yukon-university-student-awards