Indspire's Building Brighter Futures program funds First Nations, Inuit and Métis students in post-secondary education, through its named bursaries, scholarships and awards. There is one application for all of them, and it is considered at three deadlines a year; the funder says the earlier you apply, the more funding opportunities you may be considered for. Bursaries and awards are assessed on financial need, merit and community participation; scholarships are assessed on merit. Volunteer experience from any setting is valuable to the application, including with organisations such as the SPCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, local hospitals and churches. That section is scored, and a student with no hours is not scored on it, which lowers their chance of being successful. A completed application stays active for the entire academic year (September 2026 to August 2027): if it is not awarded at the deadline the student applied by it is automatically carried forward to later ones, until the application cycle closes on February 1, 2027.
How to Apply
- Eligibility
- Application
You must be a First Nations, Inuit or Métis student; the application requires proof of Indigenous registration. To be eligible for an award through Indspire, all students are required to show a financial need — while Indspire also offers scholarships that are not based on financial need, these opportunities are very limited. You must be enrolled in at least 60% of a full course load, or 40% with a disability-related accommodation; exceptions are limited and only select agreements include part-time eligibility. Students studying outside of Canada must be enrolled in a graduate-level program. Students enrolled in a fellowship or residency program are not eligible.
There is one application for all of Indspire's bursaries and scholarships, with a few exceptions. You only need to complete it once to be considered for all applicable bursaries and scholarships. Students are required to submit three documents with it: proof of Indigenous registration (a photocopy of the front and back of a valid Status Card, Métis card or Inuit Enrolment card), proof of enrolment confirming full-time or part-time enrolment for the Fall 2026 / Winter 2027 academic year, and grades showing final marks from the most recent completed academic year or program prior to Fall 2026. Once your application is complete it remains active for the entire academic year, September 2026 to August 2027; if it is not awarded at the first deadline you applied to, it is automatically carried forward to the later ones. The funder's three deadlines each year are August 1, November 1 and February 1 at 11:59 p.m. EST.