College of Fellows Indigenous Planning Student Award

What you will need

• ✓ Indigenous affiliation (First Nation, Inuit, or Metis)
• ✓ Enrollment in an accredited Canadian planning program
• ✓ Full-time or part-time study status

About this award

You get a $5,000 annual award. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are an Indigenous student (First Nation, Inuit, or Metis) pursuing a career in urban or regional planning. Deadlines come around three times a year on August 1, November 1 and February 1, so aim for whichever one is next. No specific 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 College of Fellows how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask College of Fellows 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 College of Fellows whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

You must be an Indigenous student with any Indigenous affiliation (First Nation, Inuit, or Metis). You must be enrolled in full-time or part-time studies at an accredited Canadian planning program. Eligible institutions include the University of Alberta (Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), University of British Columbia (School of Community and Regional Planning), University of Calgary (Faculty of Environmental Design), Dalhousie University (School of Planning), University of Guelph (Rural Planning and Development Program), Université Laval (Département d’aménagement faculté d’aménagement, d’architecture et des arts visuels), University of Manitoba (Faculty of Architecture Department of City Planning), McGill University (City of Urban Planning), Université de Montréal (Institut d’urbanisme, Faculté d’aménagement), University of Northern British Columbia (School of Environmental Planning), Université du Québec à Montréal (Module d’urbanisme), Queen’s University (School of Urban and Regional Planning), Ryerson University (School of Urban and Regional Planning), University of Saskatchewan (Regional and Urban Planning Program, Department of Geography and Planning), and Simon Fraser University (School of Resource and Environmental Management, Resource and Environmental Planning Program).

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 undergraduate or graduate students
• ✓ Studying Accredited Canadian Planning Program

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

• Program FitAvoid applying from a general geography or environmental degree. Instead, prove you are in an accredited planning program specifically. Check your program's accreditation status with the CIP (the Canadian Institute of Planners — the professional body that certifies planners in Canada) before applying.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until the final deadline. Since there are three windows (August, November, and February), it pays to apply early in the cycle to get your funding sorted before the semester peaks.
• RealismAvoid assuming this is a general bursary. Because it is restricted to both Indigenous identity and a very specific niche of study (Planning), your odds are higher than a general award, but you must meet both strict criteria to be considered.

Questions students ask

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