Applications for the 2025 FNIGC National Student Bursary are now closed.
Established in 2011, each year the FNIGC National Student Bursary awards four exceptional First Nations post-secondary students with a $2,500 bursary, complimentary registration to The Fundamentals of OCAP® online course, and for the second year bursary recipients will also have the opportunity to take part in a mentorship within FNIGC’s First Nations Data Centre.
The deadline for applications to the 2025 FNIGC National Student Bursary is Friday, November 7, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. EST.
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);
- evidence of student status (such as a letter of acceptance or a transcript of marks, etc.); and
- a letter of reference from an employer, professor, community member, etc.
Essay
Applicants must also submit an essay * (minimum of 500 words, and maximum of 800 words) that answers the following question:
Why is it important for First Nations to own, control, access, and possess their own data and how might you contribute to this in your future career?
Please include a bibliography (in MLA or APA format for your sources).
To assist us in the application review process, please use the following file naming format:
- LastNameFirstName_Essay
- LastNameFirstName_StatusEvidence
- LastNameFirstName_StudentEvidence
- LastNameFirstName_ReferenceLetter
All eligible applications will be reviewed by a committee of FNIGC’s Board of Directors, who will evaluate and assess them using a rating matrix. The successful bursary recipients will be announced in spring 2026 and will be promoted on FNIGC.ca and on our social media platforms. Note that by applying, individuals consent to the use of their name, location (city/First Nation only), and image in FNIGC’s publicity efforts.
* Disclaimer
Note: Essay submissions that are found to be created in whole or in part—by Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) will not be accepted. Any submission found to be generated by AI will be automatically removed from the NSB competition. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
FNIGC National Student Bursary FAQ