Financial Aid
Â鶹´«Ã½’s Awards and Financial Aid Office administers over 20 different bursaries and graduate fellowships designed specifically for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students. As a result of robust fund raising, UWinnipeg now provides more than $3.2 million in annual scholarships and bursaries to assist students with their direct education costs. This is a 67% increase since 2004! The University's Awards and Financial Aid Office provides workshops and is available to sit down with students to assist them in accessing funding to attend university. Examples of this fundraising include the following:
The Opportunity Fund is unique in Canada and our goal is to ensure that everyone, regardless of economic circumstances, has access to a university education.
Fast-Track Bursary Program
The first element of The Opportunity Fund is a bursary program designed to help students who have financial need. The bursaries primarily assist students with their direct education costs (tuition and books). Since 2007, the University has been able to offer more than 1500 bursaries thanks to generous donations, and to date there are 238 Opportunity Fund graduates.
Eligibility: You may be eligible for this bursary program if you meet the following criteria:
- Have at least a 2.00 (C) grade point average, or a 65% admission average
- Demonstrate financial need as determined by the University
- Are a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, inner-city or newcomer student
Youth-in-Care Tuition Waivers
Â鶹´«Ã½ is committed to breaking down the barriers to university education for Youth in Care. The Youth-In-Care Tuition Waiver Program is a part of the Opportunity Fund, and it is intended to cover undergraduate tuition fees. Tuition Waivers are based on the individual financial need of the applicant and will be selected by the Awards and Financial Aid Office in partnership with the Child and Family Service Authorities and the Province of Manitoba.
Eligibility: You may be eligible for a tuition waiver if you are a current or former youth in care and meet the following criteria:
- Have applied to the University, are in the process of applying to the University, or have been given an offer of admission to the University for the upcoming Fall
- Demonstrate financial need as determined by the University
- Enrol in a minimum of 9 credit hours per term (in Fall and Winter) in your first year
- Complete an Authorization for the Release of Information form allowing the University and the Authority / Province to share information on your progress
- Maintain continued contact with University and Authority or Province officials satisfactory to facilitate monitoring and administration of the Program.
Louis Riel Bursaries
These bursaries of up to $2,500 are established by the Louis Riel Institute of the Manitoba Métis Federation. They are awarded annually to entering or returning Certificate, Diploma, Bachelors, and Masters degree students with financial need who are Métis.
Since 1999, the Manitoba Métis Federation and its education arm, the Louis Riel Institute, have provided more than $1.6 million in bursaries to Métis students attending UWinnipeg. The funds have almost doubled to just over $ 3 million as a result of matching from the University through the Manitoba Scholarships and Bursaries Initiative matching program.