District/Authority Scholarships

Student of Grade 12 in the great province of British Columbia? Or just graduated from high school with excellent grades? You sure have a bright future ahead of you. Especially if you enroll yourself in a post-secondary course in a good school and chase all the dreams you’ve always had. Because if you do, the government of British Columbia has a scholarship in place for you.

The District/Authority Scholarships, offered by the Ministry of Education and Childcare and distributed by the Federation of Independent School Association (FISA), are awarded to 5,500 students everywhere. Students of school districts and independent school systems are the recipient of this scholarship. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

Let’s explore in-depth details of this scholarship in the sections given below.

District/Authority Scholarships – Eligibility, How To Apply

Eligibility Criteria 

If you want to apply for this scholarship, it’s vital for you to figure out if you meet all its eligibility requirements. We have laid down the criteria below so you get a clear idea in this regard – 

• Have Canadian citizenship by birth or be a landed immigrant (permanent resident) of Canada. Your status should reflect in the records of your high school. 
• You have to be a resident of the province of British Columbia. 
• You should be enrolled in high school in the same year for which the scholarship is being awarded. This could either be a public school of British Columbia (inclusive of Distributed Learning schools); a Group 1, 2 or 4 Independent School of the province; a Continuing Education Center; or be homeschooled by a registered learning school.
• You should also meet all of the graduation requirements laid down as well as be a certified graduate by the August 31^st of the year in which you’re applying for this scholarship.
• You must either fulfill the graduation criteria for a Dogwood Diploma (BC Certificate of Graduation) or Adult Dogwood (BC Adult Graduation Diploma).
• You must also fulfill the requirements set by your local scholarship committee. This is inclusive of having done outstandingly well in any of the fields given below – 

How To Apply 

Forms for this scholarship (in all likelihood) come out during the end of each year. You can check out a sample application here so you can learn how to apply for this scholarship. With that being said, you must contact your school to know more about the local criteria as well as the application process for this scholarship. If you’re a student of a public school, you can make your application via the district office or your school. For students of independent schools, you’ll have to apply through the Federation of Independent School Associations (FISA), which covers Grades 1, 2 and 4 independent schools. If you happen to be eligible, you’ll find out in spring when conditional students are notified of their status by their concerned authority or district. In September, all conditional students are examined further to determine their eligibility; and in the month of November, scholarships are mailed to confirmed students.

How Much Can You Get 

As you already know, this scholarship is awarded to 5,500 students each year. If you happen to be one of the lucky ones who receive it, you will get a scholarship voucher worth $1,250. You can redeem this voucher from the Ministry to reimburse you for the tuition fee you paid to study in the post-secondary school of your choice. 

An important thing to note here is that your chosen post-secondary school must be a designated one. You can check out the list of designated institutions here. In case you’re availing of a program provider, be sure it has the approval of the Industry Training Authority. 

Other Student Aid Options 

One of the many perks of being a student of British Columbia is that you can try your luck with a host of other student aid options if this one doesn’t work out for you. Some of the funding programs you can apply to include Irving K. Barber Scholarship Programs, BC Achievement Scholarships, BC Excellence Scholarships, BC Access Grant for Full-time Students and more.