NBCC Youth in Care Scholarship

What you will need

• ✓ Online application to the NBCC Foundation for the New Brunswick Youth in Care Scholarship (F-0320)
• ✓ Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) and your post-secondary student number
• ✓ The first and last day of classes for your term or school year, and your expected graduation date
• ✓ Your consent to release information so your time in care and your enrolment can be verified

About this award

This award provides a waiver for your tuition and mandatory program fees, meaning these costs are covered and you do not have to pay them. As a scholarship, this is not a loan, so there is nothing to repay. This is for you if you spent at least 12 months, consecutive or cumulative, in the care of the New Brunswick Minister of Social Development or a First Nations Child and Family Services agency, and you are under 26 when you start your studies. Applications are accepted year-round and reviewed in the order they are received until the money runs out, so apply as early as you can for the 2026-2027 school year. You cannot apply for a term that is already over or has 6 weeks or less left. There is no competition: the NBCC Foundation checks your eligibility with your care organization and confirms your enrolment with your school, and you usually hear back by email within 3 to 4 weeks. The money does not go to you as cash: it is sent straight to your school to cover tuition and mandatory fees, usually in two instalments (fall, then winter once you have finished the first term and returned to class). Optional fees you can opt out of are not covered. If you also get NB student aid, this scholarship is counted in your student aid assessment and can change the amount you receive. Funding is given one school year at a time and you must reapply every year, even if you received it before. The province has committed to keep funding past recipients until they complete their program.

Who qualifies

To qualify, you must be a New Brunswick resident who is, or was, in the care of the New Brunswick Minister of Social Development or a First Nations Child and Family Services agency for at least 12 months (365 days), consecutive or cumulative, under the Family Services Act. This includes foster care, kinship care, group home care, being adopted while in the Minister's care, and being a client of Youth and Young Adult Engagement Services. You must be admitted to a recognized post-secondary institution in New Brunswick, in a program or courses leading to a first certificate, diploma or degree below the graduate level; full-time and part-time students can apply. You must be under 26 when you start your studies and receive the scholarship for the first time. Graduate programs, adult basic education, academic upgrading, professional development, internships and continuing education are not covered, and you cannot get it if your tuition is already fully covered by WorkingNB, Social Development or another source.

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.

• ✓ Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• ✓ Open to post-secondary students
• ✓ Resident of New Brunswick

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

• Care RecordsAvoid ruling yourself out too early. The 12 months can be consecutive or cumulative, and you do not have to collect records yourself — the NBCC Foundation checks your time in care directly with your care organization once you consent to the release of information.
• SupportAvoid trying to navigate the waiver process alone. Instead, reach out to the NBCC (New Brunswick Community College) Foundation for guidance. Email Advancement@nbcc.ca if you have questions about your application.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until the term starts to apply. Instead, start your application as soon as you are admitted to your school. Funding is limited and applications are reviewed in the order they arrive.
• RealismAvoid assuming this covers all your costs. Instead, remember that while tuition and mandatory fees are waived, you still need to budget for books, supplies, and living expenses.

Questions students ask

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