FNIGC National Student Bursary

Applications for the 2026 FNIGC National Student Bursary are now being accepted

Established in 2011, each year the FNIGC National Student Bursary awards four exceptional First Nations post-secondary students with a $2,500 bursary and complimentary registration to The Fundamentals of OCAP®. Bursary recipients will also be given an opportunity to take part in a mentorship within FNIGC’s First Nations Data Centre. 

The deadline for applications to the 2026 FNIGC National Student Bursary is Friday, December 4, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. EST.

Click Here to begin your application!

Eligibility

The FNIGC National Student Bursary is open to First Nations students in Canada who are enrolled full-time in a college or university program which focuses on the fields of health, social sciences, or applied sciences (or studying issues related to First Nations data sovereignty). Applicants must provide the following information as part of their application:

• Evidence of First Nations status (such as a copy of a valid Certificate of Indian Status or Treaty Card, or written confirmation of membership in a federally recognized band council that has its own citizenship code); and 

• Evidence of student status (such as a letter of acceptance or a transcript of marks, etc.)

Photo Essay submission 

This year we are asking that you submit a photo essay that visually represents what First Nations Data Sovereignty looks like to you. Examples of this could include photographs of data sovereignty being exercised, how data sovereignty has contributed to your community, or data sovereignty on the land.  You can submit up to 5 photos as part of your submission. Your photo(s) must be accompanied by a 250-word description of how your photograph depicts First Nations Data Sovereignty. 

A few rules

• The photograph(s) and writing submitted must be your own — they should not be created by someone else, plagiarized or generated by artificial intelligence;

• Your photo essay should be original (and not already published elsewhere);

• If your photograph identifies individuals, please be sure to obtain permission before submitting your photograph. If you are taking a photograph of a public event or space, permission is not required; 

• The photo(s) should be in one of these file types only: .jpg, .png or .pdf, with a maximum file size of 500 MB; 

• Essays should be a maximum of 250 words and submitted in Word or .pdf file types only, and;

• If including references, please use MLA or APA format.

To assist us in the application review process, please use the following file naming formats:

• LastNameFirstName_Photo #

• LastNameFirstName_Essay

• LastNameFirstName_StatusEvidence

• LastNameFirstName_StudentEvidence

Eligible students can apply on the FNIGC website now.  If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

All eligible applications will be reviewed by a committee established by the FNIGC Board of Directors and assessed according to a rating matrix. The bursary winners will be announced in the spring 2027 and posted on the FNIGC website and social media platforms. By applying, individuals consent to the use of their name, address (City/First Nation only), submitted photograph(s), and profile photograph in any related FNIGC publicity in the event of receiving the National Student Bursary award.

AI Disclaimer

Please note that while AI tools can be helpful for creating ideas, exploring potential topics, or supporting your writing process, essay submissions created in whole or in part by AI will not be accepted. Any submission found to be generated by AI will be automatically removed from the competition. Thank you for your understanding and commitment to the creation of your application.