University of Alberta award for Indigenous students. One Indspire application covers all of Indspire's bursaries and scholarships.
Published by G Paul · last checked August 31, 2026
CIBC-University of Alberta Indigenous Scholars Awards is one of the Indigenous-student awards administered through Indspire's Building Brighter Futures Bursaries & Scholarships program. Indspire is the largest non-government funder of Indigenous post-secondary education in Canada — every Indspire award uses one consolidated student application, considered for all of Indspire's bursaries and scholarships (including this one). The award is open to First Nations, Inuit and Métis students who can prove registration, as Indspire's policy requires; Indspire's page says they are for Indigenous students in the Faculties of Arts, Education or Native Studies, or the Alberta School of Business, at the University of Alberta, with at least a 2.0 GPA in their faculty and financial need. Three Indspire deadlines per year (August 1, November 1, February 1) cover fall, winter, and spring entry cycles; one application is good for any deadline you select. Related awards administered through the same Indspire program include: CIBC-University of Alberta Indigenous Resilience Graduate Awards; University of Alberta MD Program Indigenous Entrance Scholarships; University of Alberta – Indspire Indigenous Sport and Recreation Graduate Certificate Awards.
Open to First Nations, Inuit and Métis students who are Canadian citizens and can prove registration: a Status Card, a membership or citizenship card from a First Nation that keeps its own membership list, enrolment in one of the four Inuit land claims, or a card from one of the seven Métis registries Indspire accepts. Self-identification alone is not enough. Indspire's page says these awards are for Indigenous students in any year of study in the Faculties of Arts, Education or Native Studies, or the Alberta School of Business, at the University of Alberta. You need at least a 2.0 GPA in your faculty and must show financial need. The page calls them undergraduate awards in its description but lists 'Level of Study: Graduate' in its criteria, so ask Indspire which one applies to you. Apply via the central Indspire Building Brighter Futures portal; Indspire matches your single consolidated application to this award and any other Indspire pool you qualify for. Confirm your specific eligibility with Indspire and the University of Alberta before applying.
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.
Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.
Save a copy, and submit at least a day before the deadline shown above.
Use the Apply on the official site button on this page: it opens the official application page in a new tab.
Applications close on November 1, 2026. Submit a day or two early: application sites get busy at the end.
Check the award's official page for the citizenship rules.
FundMyCourse.ca · checked Aug 31, 2026
Distributed through Indspire Building Brighter Futures program; specific amount not posted publicly
fundmycourse.ca/scholarships/cibc-university-of-alberta-indigenous-scholars-awards