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: 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: 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: 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 Jessica Rumboldt (jessica.rumboldt@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.

Apply for the MNO bursary

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:

College and Divisional Student Awards: Bursaries, scholarships and awards are available to full-time students at George Brown College who self-identify as Indigenous. Funding is also available for emergencies and home visits thanks to a generous donation from the Janes Family.
George Brown College’s financial aid office offers numerous scholarships and awards
Indspire – helps thousands of Indigenous students complete their education
AMMSA – Indigenous Scholarship Guide
CN Scholarships – Through their Scholarships Program, CN offers grants to support the post-secondary education of best-in-class students enrolled in programs relevant to CN's core business wards.
Hydro One student awards and scholarships – As part of their enduring commitment to increasing the representation of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) employees throughout their operations, Hydro One is actively engaged in encouraging and investing in students interested in careers within the electricity sector.
Miziwe Biik Indigenous Employment and Training – you may be eligible for monthly transportation costs (TTC), bursaries, books and supplies. Visit the website for more information.
ONECA Four Directions Scholarship
ONECA Post-Secondary Student Award
The Raven Rising Pastry Arts Scholarship for Indigenous students has committed to providing one Indigenous student each year $1,500 to help with educational costs.

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.