Funding, Scholarships and Awards for Indigenous Students

Paying for your college education can be challenging. But the Indigenous Initiatives team is here to help you wade through the waters of financial assistance at George Brown College.

There are a number of assistance options available to Indigenous students, including grants, bursaries, scholarships and awards, some of which are listed below. In addition to tuition support, we also offer emergency bursaries and financial support for home visits for our indigenous students.

The Tom Janes Bursaries for Indigenous Learners funds:

  • Tom Janes Emergency Funds for Indigenous Learners (15 awards per year): This award provides emergency funding for Indigenous students, including unforeseen costs such as illness, loss of income, and increases in tuition. 
  • Tom Janes Home Visit Bursary (15 awards per year): This award supports Indigenous students’ visits to their home communities. Many Indigenous students hail from remote communities and do not have the financial resources to return home during breaks in the semester or in the summer.  
  • Tom Janes Indigenous Student Entrance Scholarship (eight awards per year): This award is an entrance scholarship available to full-time students who identify as Indigenous

For more information and assistance with any funding, scholarship or awards applications please contact Lisa Zangerl (Lisa.Zangerl@georgebrown.ca) or Indigenous.Services@georgebrown.ca

Funding

First Nations

You may be eligible to receive financial assistance for the cost of your tuition fees, books and living allowances. If interested, you should contact your post-secondary education office within your First Nation to receive the necessary forms and policies (most are online).

Métis

The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) offers a range of support and services for the educational success of all Métis across Ontario. Recognizing the absence of dedicated post-secondary financial assistance for Métis students, MNO initiated a bursary program in 1998. The investments were made at 32 colleges and universities. Contact the financial aid office for more information.

Contact the Métis Nation of Ontario for more information on scholarships and bursaries.

Inuit

Inuit students who have been residing outside of the Northwest Territories or Nunavut for 12 consecutive months could be eligible for funding through the Post-Secondary Student Support Program. Inuit students residing in these territories are eligible for funding support from their respective territorial governments.

Eligible Inuit students seeking more information on how to apply for available funding for post-secondary education should contact Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. Here you will find a link to the Inuit Post-Secondary funding application.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

While many Indigenous students may be eligible for post-secondary education funding through their respective band, additional educational funding may be required. Here are a few websites to help you get started:

Other bursaries and awards include:

  • Indigenous Student Bursary
  • Union Local 556 Bursary
  • Alfred Eli Bursary
  • Métis Student Award
  • Aditya Jha Indigenous Studies Awards

Contact our staff for more information on the application process for these awards and bursaries.

Read more information on how to apply for awards.

DOWNLOAD AN APPLICATION FOR SELECT AWARDS