University and College Entrance Preparation Program (UCEPP)

What you will need

• ✓ Proof of First Nations registration under the Indian Act
• ✓ Confirmation of enrollment in a recognized university or college entrance preparation program

About this award

There is no set amount. Your First Nation, or the organization it designates, decides how much you get, up to a maximum of $53,000 a year for a full-time student; no student is automatically entitled to that amount, and what you get depends on the funding available and how many students are supported. The money can cover tuition and fees, books and supplies, application and transcript fees, living expenses (including for dependants), travel home, tutoring and child care. It is non-repayable support funded by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC — the federal department that supports Indigenous people), although your First Nation's local guidelines can include rules on repayment. This is for you if you are a First Nations student registered under the Indian Act who needs to complete preparatory coursework before starting a full degree or diploma. You apply to your band council or the education organization your First Nation has designated, not to ISC, and each one sets its own application process and deadlines, so ask your band office for its form, deadline and local guidelines. If your community has no funding agreement, the ISC regional office where you live reviews your application. Applications are valid for one school year only, and you must be told in writing whether your application was approved, deferred or rejected. Each band or organization must publish its selection priorities and have a public appeal process. When there are more eligible students than money, applications can be deferred, and a refusal because funds have run out cannot be appealed. Tuition support normally goes to your school (only in exceptional cases is it paid to you), and living allowances continue over the Christmas and study breaks. Ask your band office for its payment schedule. Funding is approved one school year at a time. To keep getting it, you must maintain the satisfactory academic standing your First Nation sets; continuing students are one of the priority groups a First Nation can choose.

Who qualifies

To qualify, you must be a First Nations student registered under the Indian Act. You must be enrolled in recognized post-secondary university and college entrance preparation programs designed to help you attain the academic level required for entrance into degree, diploma and certificate programs. You can study full-time or part-time; part-time students can get help with tuition, fees, books and supplies. If you are eligible for student support from the Government of the Northwest Territories, or from the Cree, Kativik or Central Québec school boards under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreements, you generally cannot get UCEPP funding.

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

• Academic GoalsAvoid simply stating you want to go to college. Instead, name the specific degree, diploma, or certificate program you are preparing to enter. List the exact academic requirements you are currently working to meet.
• SupportAvoid submitting your application without checking with your local band council. Instead, contact your band office or designated education organization first. They often manage the local guidelines for this funding.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until the last minute to find your registration papers. Instead, gather your Indian Act registration documents now. Having these ready ensures your application isn't delayed by paperwork.
• RealismAvoid assuming the national guidelines are the only rules. Instead, ask your local funding recipient for the local program guidelines. Different bands or tribal councils may have their own specific rules for how the money is handled.

Questions students ask

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