Petro-Canada™ · National
Petro-Canada Award for Indigenous Students
About this award
Get a one-time $700 award for high school or one of eight $5,000 bursaries for post-secondary study if you are an Indigenous student in a community with Petro-Canada™ relationships. Apply through Indspire's central Building Brighter Futures program — one application covers all sponsor pools.
Depending on your level of study, you can receive a one-time award of $700 for high school or one of a total of 8 bursaries annually in the amount of $5,000 for post-secondary education. As these are bursaries, this money is yours to keep and you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are a Canadian First Nations, Inuit, or Métis student who lives in a community with a formalized relationship with Petro-Canada™ and has demonstrated financial need. If you are applying for the high school award, your deadline is July 1. For those in post-secondary, there are three deadlines: August 1, November 1, and February 1. Since the provider does not list a notification timeline, ask Indspire (the organization managing the fund) when and how you will hear back. Selection criteria aren't published — ask Petro-Canada™ how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask Petro-Canada™ 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 Petro-Canada™ 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?
- Canadian Citizen or Indigenous — citizenship requirement
- Grade 12, Undergraduate, College, University, Apprenticeship Program — study level
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 providing a vague statement about needing money.
Winners instead provide a clear budget showing exactly how the $700 or $5,000 will cover specific gaps in their tuition, books, or living costs.
Many students forget to prove their community ties.
Get a letter from your band office or community leader confirming your residency and your relationship with the local Petro-Canada™ site.
Because there are three separate deadlines for post-secondary students, don't wait until the final one in February.
Apply during the August or November windows to increase your chances of securing one of the 8 annual spots.