The Maura Kealey Award

What you will need

• ✓ Female Indigenous identity
• ✓ Enrollment in a law or nursing program
• ✓ Demonstrated financial need
• ✓ Community involvement or contribution

About this award

No fixed dollar amount is posted — contact Indspire (the organization that administers this award) 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 a female Indigenous student pursuing a career in law or nursing and can show you have financial need. 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 online portal. Selection criteria aren't published beyond the focus on financial need, community contribution, and academic merit — ask Indspire how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask Indspire 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 Indspire whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

You qualify if you are a female Indigenous student with any Indigenous affiliation. You must be enrolled in a law or nursing program at a post-secondary institution, such as a college, university, technical college, or apprenticeship program. While demonstrated financial needs are the primary consideration, the reviewers may also look at your academic merit and how you have contributed to your community as a whole.

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 or graduate students
• ✓ Studying Law or Nursing

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 expenses and income gaps. List your specific tuition costs and living expenses to prove exactly why this funding is needed.
• StrategyAvoid applying only once a year. Since there are three separate deadlines (February 1, August 1, and November 1), you should track which one aligns best with your current enrollment status and financial gaps.

Questions students ask

Similar awards

• IndspireJohn Bernard Kennedy Bursary
• IndspireThe Butt Family Memorial Bursary for Indigenous Students$2,000
• IndspireElizabeth Freeland Compassion Fund
• IndspireFeiga Bresver Academic Fund
• IndspireThe Indspire Star Scholarship for Business/Engineering$5,000
• IndspireDoreen Bell Bursary
• IndspireIndspire Building Brighter Futures Bursaries & Scholarships
• IndspirePractical Nursing Bursary