The Joyce Helston Bursary

What you will need

• ✓ Enrollment in a post-secondary institution (College, University, Technical College, or Apprenticeship Program)
• ✓ Program of study is in Indigenous Languages
• ✓ Indigenous affiliation
• ✓ Financial need
• ✓ Information regarding your community involvement and academic performance

About this award

No fixed dollar amount is posted — contact Joyce Helston to confirm the value for your specific award before you apply. As a bursary, 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 dedicated to learning or relearning your language so you can share it with others and reconnect with your culture. 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, phone, or through an application portal. Selection criteria aren't published — ask Joyce Helston how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. They consider your financial need as the main factor, but they also look at your academic performance and how you contribute to your community. Ask Joyce Helston 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 Joyce Helston whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

You must be an Indigenous student with any Indigenous affiliation. You must be attending a post-secondary institution across Canada, such as a College, University, Technical College, or Apprenticeship Program. To qualify, your program of study must be in Indigenous Languages.

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 college, undergraduate, graduate, trades or certificate students
• ✓ Studying Indigenous Languages

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

• Financial NeedAvoid providing a vague statement about needing money. Instead, provide a detailed breakdown of your tuition gaps and living costs to prove why the funding is necessary.
• StrategyAvoid ignoring the three separate deadlines. Instead, prepare your materials early and apply during the cycle that best matches your registration date.
• RealismAvoid assuming the award is guaranteed based on enrollment alone. Instead, emphasize your role in sharing the language with others, as the funder specifically wants to support those who pass the knowledge on.

Questions students ask

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