BC Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) Bursary Program

What you will need

• ✓ Signed Return of Service agreement with the BC Ministry of Health
• ✓ Proof of application for registration with the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)
• ✓ Proof of application to Inspire Global Assessments (where required)
• ✓ Valid Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN)
• ✓ Valid Canadian bank account
• ✓ Receipts for costs incurred on or after May 1, 2021

About this award

You can receive up to $17,000 in bursaries, which are reimbursements for costs you have already paid. This is a grant, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. The funding is broken down by specific needs: up to $1,200 for an Education Credential Assessment (ECA — a review of your foreign degree), up to $400 each for two English Language Proficiency (ELP — English fluency) tests, up to $690 plus taxes for the BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM — the provincial nursing regulator) application fee, and up to $600 plus taxes for the Inspire application fee. You can also get a one-time payment of up to $3,000 plus taxes for Inspire Global Assessments (competency tests) and up to $10,000 for Transitional Education tuition fees if the BCCNM refers you to specific upgrading. This is for you if you are an internationally educated nurse who is moving to British Columbia and needs financial help to navigate the professional registration process. No deadline is posted publicly — before you start the application, check Health Match BC's program page or call their office to confirm when applications open and close this year. Selection criteria aren't published — ask Health Match BC how applications are approved. Ask Health Match BC 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. To keep this funding, you must sign a Return of Service (ROS — a commitment to work in BC) agreement with the BC Ministry of Health before you get your registration. Renewal conditions aren't listed — if you're counting on this for multiple years, confirm with Health Match BC whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

You qualify if you are an internationally educated nurse who meets these bars: you must not currently hold or have ever held registration as a nurse in any other Canadian province or territory, and BC must be the only place you have applied for registration (any other active Canadian applications must be withdrawn). You must have applied for registration with the BCCNM and applied to Inspire Global Assessments if required. You need a valid Canadian bank account and a Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN — the government ID needed for taxes and work); if you don't have a SIN yet, you may be eligible, but you won't get your money until you have one. Finally, you must have spent money on these requirements on or after May 1, 2021, and you must complete the BCCNM registration process on or after May 1, 2022. Note that if the BCCNM tells you to retake a full Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, you are not eligible for the Transitional Education Bursary. Also, if you received the Access to Practical Nursing (APN) Education Incentive Bursary, you cannot get these funds.

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 certificate students
• ✓ Resident of British Columbia
• ✓ Studying Nursing

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

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's official page will have it.

Tips for applying

• ApplicationAvoid applying for both the Nurse and Allied Health bursaries if you have qualifications in both. Instead, choose only one profession to pursue. This prevents the risk of having all your funding denied.
• DocumentationAvoid submitting receipts for costs incurred before May 1, 2021. Instead, organize your expenses by date to show they fall within the eligible window. Highlight only the costs that match the BCCNM requirements.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until after your full registration to look into the Return of Service agreement. Instead, contact your Health Match BC Navigator early to understand the work commitment you are signing.
• RealismAvoid assuming you will get the full $17,000. Instead, realize that the amount depends entirely on which assessments and upgrading the BCCNM requires for your specific background.

Questions students ask

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