TRU increases Indigenous scholarships, bursaries and awards by 60 per cent

Photo: TRU

Thompson Rivers University has upped the amount of Indigenous-specific scholarships, bursaries and awards by more than 60 per cent this academic year,

According to a report presented last month to the university’s board of governors, more than $755,000 in awards went to Indigenous students at the university last academic year, representing about 11 per cent of all awards doled out, with more than $120,000 coming from Indigenous-specific awards

With new awards made available this year, there is now more than $200,000 worth of Indigenous-specific awards available to TRU students.

Five awards totalling $11,000 were not dispersed last year due to no eligible applicant meeting the criteria, the report states.

Other sources of financial aid last year came from the provincial tuition waiver program, which supported 24 Indigenous students and represent 37 per cent of funding dispersed, and the work study program, which eight Indigenous students received.

The report states Indigenous students make up 9.8 per cent of TRU's student population and represent 12.3 per cent of all scholarship, bursary and award recipients.

Approximately 20 per cent of the 2,700 Indigenous students at the university last year received some form of award or financial aid.