Aritzia Indigenous Excellence Scholarship

What you will need

• ✓ Indigenous affiliation
• ✓ Enrollment in an associate, bachelor's, or master's degree program
• ✓ Community involvement

About this award

You can receive a $5,000 scholarship. Five of these awards are given out each year. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are a woman-identifying Indigenous student who has shown excellence in your studies and stays active in your community. Deadlines come around twice a year on August 1 and November 1, so aim for whichever one is next. No notification timeline is posted publicly — when you apply, ask how and when you'll hear back via email, portal, or phone. Selection criteria aren't published — ask Aritzia how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask Aritzia during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. Renewal conditions aren't listed — if you're counting on this for multiple years, confirm with Aritzia whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

You must be a woman-identifying Indigenous student with any Indigenous affiliation. You need to be enrolled in an associate, bachelor's, or master's degree program. While the main program of study is Business, preference will be given to you if you are studying retail management, fashion merchandising, education, fine arts, Indigenous studies, or social work, especially those focusing on women and mental health.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Open to graduate or undergraduate students
• ✓ Studying Business, retail management, fashion merchandising, education, fine arts, Indigenous studies or social work

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Submit your application

   Save a copy, and submit at least a day before the deadline shown above.

Tips for applying

• Community InvolvementAvoid listing your volunteer roles as a simple list of duties. Instead, tell stories about the impact you made on others. Describe a specific time your work helped your community grow.
• RealismWith only five awards given annually, this is a very competitive scholarship. Treat this as a great bonus rather than your only source of funding while you apply for other bursaries.

Questions students ask

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