For Indigenous professionals looking to pursue further education, the Manitoba provincial government has a fantastic program in place. The Business Council of Manitoba – Indigenous Education Awards seeks to sponsor the education of deserving Indigenous working professionals and students so they can chase their educational dreams along with their career ambitions.
Launched in the year 2001 in partnership with the government of Canada and Manitoba, this program has doled out more than 2400 awards so far, equaling a funding amount of $6,000,000. It supports plenty of colleges and courses, ranging from education, dentistry, engineering, social work, medicine, and more. The good thing about this program is that you can use it to cover any extra expenses after getting funding via other programs. To get into the nitty-gritty of the program, continue reading.
To know if you qualify for this program, refer to the pointers listed below:
Here’s a list of the post-secondary institutions supported by this program –
The application process is fairly straightforward. If you fulfill the eligibility criteria, you can fill out the application form and hand it over to the financial services office of the college or university you have applied to. Ensure that you submit the following documents along with your application:
Please bear in mind that the deadline for application is March 31st. Also, in the wake of COVID-19, it might not be possible for you to drop in your application at your chosen post-secondary institution. In that case, you have the option to email your application or mail a physical copy to the Business Council of Manitoba. You must submit your application as soon as possible, even if your classes haven’t commenced yet.
Your application will be vetted to determine whether you will get funding from this program. This screening will assess a number of factors including your personal and academic achievements, your involvement in the community and your financial need. If your application is selected, you will be notified.
This program is available across multiple institutions and fields of study to assist with costs such as tuition, books, and other supplies you may need through the academic year. Each student is eligible to receive $3,000 for university and $2,000 for college education. You can reapply every year, but you can receive the award only three times.
If you are planning to continue further education in Manitoba, there are plenty of funding options for you to choose from. If the Indigenous Education Awards do not cover your expenses, you can always apply for other funding programs to make up for the cost of your education. These include Manitoba Student Loan, The Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative, Federal Student Loan, Federal Student Grant, Federal Student Scholarship, and Federal Student Bursaries.