COPPUL Scholarship for Indigenous Students

What you will need

• ✓ Indigenous affiliation
• ✓ Enrollment in an ALA-accredited master's program in Library and Information or Archival Studies (or equivalent)
• ✓ Residency or origin in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, or British Columbia

About this award

No fixed dollar amount is posted — contact Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL) to confirm the value for your specific award before you apply. As a scholarship, this money is yours to keep and you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are an Indigenous student from Western Canada who wants to build a career in libraries or archives within the Western Canadian library community. Deadlines come around three times a year on August 1, November 1 and February 1, so aim for whichever one is next. When you apply, ask how and when you'll hear back — whether it is by email, a portal, or phone. Selection criteria aren't published — ask Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL) how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL) 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 Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL) whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

You must be an Indigenous student from Western Canada. This includes students from or residing in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia, though you can be studying anywhere in Canada or even abroad if you are in an online program. You must be enrolled in an ALA (American Library Association — the professional organization that sets standards for library schools) accredited master's program in Library and Information or Archival Studies, or an equivalent degree. Eligible programs include the Master of Library and Information Studies (MUS), Masters in Library Science Online Programs (MLS), Master of Information Studies (MIST), Master of Archival Studies (MAS), Dual Master of Archival Studies and Library and Information Studies (MASLIS), Master of Arts, Archival Studies (MA), or Master of Information (MI) with an Archives & Records Management (ARM) concentration. You can be in any year of study, but you have a better chance if you are a year 1 student.

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 students
• ✓ Resident of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta or British Columbia
• ✓ Studying Master of Library and Information Studies (MUS), Masters in Library Science Online Programs (MLS), Master of Information Studies (MIST), Master of Archival Studies (MAS), Dual Master of Archival Studies and Library and Information Studies (MASLIS), Master of Arts, Archival Studies (MA), Master of Information (Ml) or Archives & Records Management (ARM) Concentration

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

• ReferencesAvoid providing references who only know you socially. Instead, use professors or library supervisors who can vouch for your academic skill and your commitment to archival work.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until the final deadline. Since there are three windows (August, November, and February), try to apply in the earliest one to show your eagerness and secure funding sooner.
• RealismAvoid assuming the award covers full tuition. Because the exact amount isn't public, treat this as a helpful supplement rather than your primary source of funding until you confirm the value with COPPUL.

Questions students ask

Similar awards

• Seger Family FoundationSeger Family Bursary for STEM
• Gouvernement du Québec — Aide financière aux étudesAFE Loans and Bursaries Program (Programme de prêts et bourses)$14,000
• Scott MacCaie Rogers Scholarship for Legal StudyScott MacCaie Rogers Scholarship
• Calgary FoundationShannon Burwash Award for Leadership and Excellence in Equine, Agri-Business and/or Agricultural Studies$5,000
• York University - Faculty of Graduate StudiesYork University Graduate Bursaries
• Lakehead UniversityMrs. Beverley Leaman & Dr. Ernest Zimmermann Graduate Student$1,754
• Sun LifeSun Life Indigenous Student Awards
• Len FlettLeonard (Len) Flett Bursary