Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP)

What you will need

• ✓ Contact your First Nation, First Nations-designated organization or ISC regional office for the application process and due dates
• ✓ Registration under the Indian Act (including the general list)
• ✓ Satisfactory academic standing at an eligible post-secondary institution

About this award

You can receive up to $53,000 per year as a full-time student. If you are in a masters, doctoral, or advanced professional degree program, you may receive up to $90,000 per year on an extraordinary and justified basis. As a grant, this money is yours to keep — there is nothing to repay. This is for you if you are a First Nations student registered under the Indian Act who wants to remove financial barriers while pursuing your education. There is no national deadline — each First Nation or First Nations-designated organization sets its own due dates, so contact your local band office or ISC regional office to find out when to apply. Your First Nation or First Nations-designated organization sets the selection criteria, runs the application and review, and decides how much each student gets — ask them how they choose. Funding is limited, not all students may be funded, and partial funding may be provided. Ask your band office or First Nations-designated organization 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. Applications are valid for 1 school year only, and you must keep a satisfactory academic standing — if you need funding for more than one year, ask your band office or First Nations-designated organization how to apply again.

Who qualifies

You must be a First Nations post-secondary student registered under the Indian Act, including those on the general list. You must also maintain satisfactory academic standing within an eligible post-secondary institution. Eligible schools include First Nations-designated and directed institutions, as well as institutions affiliated with or delivering programs by arrangement with a post-secondary institution. Inuit students who formerly received funding through PSSSP should apply through the Inuit Post-Secondary Education Strategy.

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 post-secondary students

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

• ApplicationAvoid sending a generic request for funds. Instead, contact your local band office or ISC (Indigenous Services Canada — the federal department that supports First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people) regional office to ask about specific funding availability in your community.
• SupportAvoid assuming the national guidelines are the only rules. Instead, ask your First Nation or designated organization if they have issued local program guidelines with additional rules or dates.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until the last minute to check your status. Instead, ensure your registration under the Indian Act is up to date and your academic transcripts show satisfactory standing before you contact your band office.
• RealismAvoid budgeting for the full $53,000 immediately. Instead, remember that partial funding may be provided and no student is automatically entitled to the maximum amount.

Questions students ask

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