Discover Funding Opportunities

Youth Futures Education Fund

The Youth Futures Education Fund has been established to provide a grant to recipients of the Former Youth in Care Provincial Tuition Waiver, to assist with supplemental educational funding for expenses such as books, housing, utilities, or emergency situations. The amount of funding is determined by the information provided on the application and the outcome of the assessment by institutional officials. This fund specifically supports former youth in care who are pursuing post-secondary education at public institutions in British Columbia, Canada.

The Nurses Education Bursary

This program provides bursary funding, awarded each year, to qualified nursing applicants who demonstrate the greatest financial need in British Columbia. The bursary is designed to support students enrolled full-time in eligible nursing programs at designated B.C. post-secondary institutions. Recipients are automatically assessed when applying for a student loan, with no separate application required. Awards are disbursed based on a limited budget and applicants are ranked against other applicants in each bursary period to determine who has the greatest financial need.

Lieutenant Governor's Medal Program for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation

The Lieutenant Governor's medal program was established in 1979 to recognize students enrolled in vocational and career programs at public post-secondary institutions in British Columbia. The medal program was created to recognize students who excel in their studies and contribute to the life of their institution or community. For nearly forty years, British Columbia's Lieutenant Governor has awarded the medal to outstanding students who have distinguished themselves through their post-secondary education. Effective 2019, the award was modernized to also recognize B.C. public post-secondary students in two-year diploma programs and four-year undergraduate programs. The program criteria now recognizes students who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of inclusion, democracy and/or reconciliation within their campus community. Recipients are chosen by their institution and receive a commemorative medal.

Learning Fund for Young Adults (LFYA)

The Learning Fund for Young Adults (LFYA) is a one-time $1,500 grant offered by the Province of British Columbia to help young adults with care experience access learning opportunities. The grant supports young people who have been in government care (such as foster care, youth agreements, or under various custody orders) to pursue education, employment training, life-skills development, or other learning activities. The program emphasizes flexibility and autonomy, allowing eligible recipients to choose their own learning paths based on their personal interests and goals. Young adults can apply directly or have a representative such as a caregiver or social worker apply on their behalf. Once eligibility is confirmed and the application is reviewed, payments are typically received within four to six weeks.

Learning Disability Assessment Bursary

This bursary program helps part-time or full-time students with the up-front costs of learning disabilities assessments. Up to $3,500 is available to eligible students who need a recent learning disability assessment to determine eligibility for services and/or equipment. The program is administered through StudentAid BC and requires students to be enrolled at designated public post-secondary institutions in British Columbia. To be eligible, students must qualify for student funding through StudentAid BC, be enrolled in full-time or part-time post-secondary level courses at a designated public post-secondary institution in B.C., and have been recommended to have a learning disability assessment by the accessibility services office at their school.

Health Program Bursaries – Student Recruitment and Retention Bursary

This bursary has been developed through the Ministry of Health's Health Human Resource Strategy and is designed to attract students to priority health education programs and help fill key health workforce gaps across British Columbia. The Student Recruitment and Retention Bursary is available to students enrolled in eligible health programs at public B.C. post-secondary institutions. The bursary provides $2,000 per recipient per program year and is only awarded once in a 12-month period. Students are automatically assessed by their post-secondary institutions' student financial aid office, and eligible students receive a tuition credit applied directly to their account without needing to submit an application.

Health Program Bursaries – Indigenous Student Recruitment Bursary

This bursary has been developed through the Ministry of Health's Health Human Resource Strategy and is designed to support Indigenous student enrollment and retention in priority health education programs across British Columbia. The Indigenous Student Recruitment Bursary is available to students who self-identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis, and are enrolled in eligible health programs between September 1, 2023 to October 1, 2025. The bursary is awarded once in a 12-month period at a rate of $5,000 per recipient per program year. Eligible programs include Dietitian, Midwifery, Nurse Practitioner, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Practical Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, and Speech Language Pathology programs at public B.C. post-secondary institutions that lead to a Certificate, Diploma or Degree recognized for practice in B.C.

B.C. Supplemental Bursary for Students with Disabilities

The B.C. Supplemental Bursary for Students with Disabilities provides financial support to post-secondary students in British Columbia who have a permanent, persistent, or prolonged disability. The bursary offers $800 per program year for students studying at a course load of 40% or greater, or $400 per program year for those studying at a course load of 20% to 39%. To qualify, students must be eligible for the Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities and be enrolled in a designated public or private post-secondary institution taking post-secondary level courses. The bursary is automatically assessed for students who have previously submitted verification of their disability to StudentAid BC. Students who have not yet verified their disability status must complete the Appendix 8 – Disability Programs Application form. This bursary is designed to supplement other disability-related financial assistance and help reduce financial barriers for students with disabilities pursuing higher education.

B.C. Assistance Program for Students with Disabilities

This program helps students with disabilities pay for exceptional education-related services and adaptive equipment. Grants of up to $10,000 (or $12,000 if an attendant is required at school) are available to students attending public and private post-secondary schools in British Columbia. This grant is designed to cover costs that exceed what is provided through federal disability assistance programs, specifically requiring students to have first exhausted funding from the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment – Students with Disabilities (CSG-DSE). The program supports students with permanent disabilities or persistent/prolonged disabilities who are enrolled at designated institutions in B.C.

Adult Upgrading Grant

The Adult Upgrading Grant is a financial assistance program offered by StudentAid BC that helps adults demonstrating financial need who are enrolled in skills upgrading, education and training courses at public post-secondary institutions in British Columbia. This grant helps with costs related to fees, books, supplies, transportation, and unsubsidized childcare. It also supports the cost of tuition for Adult Special Education programs. Eligible applicants must be adults attending a public post-secondary institution in B.C. and enrolled in skills upgrading or education and training courses such as Adult basic education, Adult special education, or English as a second language. The program is administered through approved B.C. public post-secondary institutions, and applicants must submit their completed application forms to the Financial Aid Office at their institution.