Ontario Ministry of Education · National
Education and Indigenous Languages Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards
About this award
Apply by August 1, November 1, or February 1 for bursaries and scholarships supporting Indigenous students in Ontario studying education or Indigenous languages. Apply through Indspire's central Building Brighter Futures program — one application covers all sponsor pools.
The provider doesn't post a fixed dollar amount — contact Ontario Ministry of Education to confirm the value for your specific award before you apply. As these are bursaries and scholarships, this money is yours to keep and you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are a First Nation, Métis, or Inuit learner dedicated to preserving Indigenous languages or becoming an educator. You have three deadlines to choose from: August 1, November 1, and February 1. 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 Ontario Ministry of Education how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask Ontario Ministry of Education 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 Ontario Ministry of Education whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain. How to apply: This funding is administered through Indspire's Building Brighter Futures Bursaries & Scholarships program. Students complete one central application that's evaluated against all 360+ of Indspire's funding pools (including this one) — you don't apply to the sponsor directly. The Apply button on this page routes to Indspire's portal automatically. For the full program description, all three application deadlines, and detailed eligibility, see Indspire Building Brighter Futures Bursaries & Scholarships on FundMyCourse.
Can you get it?
- Indigenous — citizenship requirement
- Post Secondary — study level
- Resident of ON — provincial eligibility
- Studying education-focused post-secondary programs, Indigenous languages post-secondary programs — field of study
How to apply
Review eligibility and gather your documents~1 hour
Read the official award page end-to-end. Confirm you meet every requirement before you start.
Submit by No deadline~1 hour
Double-check every field, save a copy, and submit at least 24 hours early.
More details
The biggest mistake is writing a generic application.
Winners instead highlight their specific passion for Indigenous languages or teaching and explain how their degree will help their community.
The biggest mistake is submitting without a mentor's review.
Winners instead ask a professor or community elder to review their goals to ensure their application reflects the values of the Building Brighter Futures Program.
The biggest mistake is waiting until the final deadline.
Since there are three dates (August 1, November 1, and February 1), you should aim for the earliest one that fits your enrollment status to get your funding sorted sooner.