Indigenous students from across Canada will now have greater access to bursaries and scholarships — thanks to the launch of Indspire’s $20-million Building Brighter Futures Campaign.
Research conducted by Indspire suggests that lack of financial resources is the number one barrier for Indigenous students in completing their post-secondary studies.
Betsy Chaly, the company’s vice-president of communications and marketing, says Indspire looks at the holistic financial situations of Indigenous students:
“Most of us know that when you go through school, it’s not just about your tuition and the cost of books. Some of our Indigenous students have children and so the cost of daycare so they can attend school is important, as well as living expenses.”
The Building Brighter Futures Campaign is being supported by corporations, the provincial government as well as a matching funds commitment by the federal government.
Statistics Canada reports that only 10% of Indigenous students graduate from university, compared to 27% of non-Indigenous students.
For more information about the scholarships and bursaries, you can find details at indspire.com. The deadline for applications is June 1.