Several First Nations students from Prince George are set to receive financial support towards their post-secondary education in the years to come.
The Irving K. Barber BC Scholarship Society awarded $2.2 million in bursary funds today (Feb. 3) to more than 650 students who identify themselves as Indigenous, including nine from the northern capital in undergraduate programs.
The Society started the annual campaign in 2007 to remove barriers in higher education, which is funded from the returns on an provincial government-established endowment fund and ongoing supplementary funding from its Advanced Education Ministry.
The following Prince George students received funds ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 (in alphabetical order):
- Tayler Anderson = Vancouver Island University
- Megan Erickson = UNBC
- Caroline Hall = UNBC
- Alexa Jonuk = College of New Caledonia
- Caleb Lawlor = University of British Columbia
- Julian Lowley = UNBC
- Jared Nome = UNBC
- Lucas Ross = College of New Caledonia
- Cameron Spooner = UNBC
Additionally, Penina Sara-Lynn Harding, a full-time UNBC Indigenous Student Researcher, is set to receive $5,000 from the Masters/Doctoral category of the Irving K. Barber scholarship.
In total, 16 Indigenous students enrolled in UNBC received endowments towards their post-secondary education, including $5,000 each to teacher candidates Hannah Trombley and Lynzee West.
The College of New Caledonia saw six of its students listed for the awards.
For 2020, 383 of province-wide recipients are receiving Indigenous Student Awards for the first time, while 274 are renewals for continuing studies.
