Niagara College will become the first school in the region to offer a scholarship specifically for students who are First Nations and former foster care children.
The Strong Students, Strong Futures Scholarship will be offered for next fall’s semester and aims to bridge the funding gap for students from these marginalized communities.
The renewable scholarship will cover the cost of tuition and ancillary fees for eligible students.
Announced on Oct. 1 via a media release from the college, the scholarship was developed alongside partners from Indigenous community organizations along with Family and Child Services Niagara.
The announcement, made the day after the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, follows Niagara College providing funding for 10 First Nations students for this fall term.
“The scholarship underscores Niagara College’s strategic commitments to students’ success and equity and inclusion,” Chris McGrath, vice-president of students, said in the release.
The scholarship will also further the college’s commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action, McGrath said.
Among the 93 calls to action, five either directly concern or are related to closing the gap in education levels between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada, including recommendation 11, which calls for adequate funding “to end the backlog of First Nations students seeking a postsecondary education.”
The Grand River Post Secondary Education Office is unable to meet the demand for post-secondary funding for community members from Six Nations of the Grand River, said Justine Henhawk-Bomberry, the organization’s director of postsecondary student services.
“It’s very encouraging to see Niagara College step up and provide much needed financial support,” she said in the release.
Eligibility of Indigenous students will be determined in partnership with First Nations communities.
Over the last five years, the number of youth at the postsecondary level supported by Family and Child Services Niagara has doubled, the release said.
These are young adults who have transitioned out of foster care and need personal and financial support to meet their education and career goals. They’re often referred to as former youth in care.
There’s a considerable overlap between the two categories of students eligible for this scholarship: In 2016 Ontario, Indigenous children made up 4.1 per cent of the child population under 15, but represented around 30 per cent of foster children (according to data from Statistics Canada).
Former youth in care are statistically less likely to achieve the crucial milestone of postsecondary education, said Anna Bozza, the CEO of the organization’s Niagara branch.
“(The) scholarship will help promote equitable access to postsecondary education for youth who have been in care and help them develop into the leaders of tomorrow by pursuing a world class education at the college,” she said in the release.
Eligibility will be determined alongside Family and Child Services Niagara for these students. For full eligibility requirements, dates, deadlines and information on how to apply, visit niagaracollege.ca/strongstudents.
