Bursaries & Scholarships

Bursary is open to all Indigenous and African Nova Scotian students wishing to apply to Dalhousie School of Medicine or Dentistry. Students must apply directly to the Indigenous Health or PLANS Program managers.   

As a part of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation (2016-2021) funding, Dalhousie’s Indigenous and African Nova Scotia Entrance Requirements bursary program is designed as an initiative for Indigenous students (First Nation, Inuit, and Métis) and African Nova Scotians applying to programs requiring entrance exams (e.g. medical school, dental school).  The goal of the program is to reduce or eliminate the financial burden associated with application requirements.  Bursaries will be awarded as a reimbursement of cost.  Applicants may apply more than once for this program, funding will be subject to availability and application review.  Total amount for the program will be determined by the yearly budget.

APPLY HERE [Online Form]

These Scholarships support Indigenous and African Nova Scotian students who are accepted in the study of Health, Dentistry and Medicine.  They have been established through the support of several donors including the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, Mrs. Heather Smallman and the Estate of Anita Garbarino Girard.

Application Deadline: December 17, 2023

Apply here

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the scholarship:  

1. Identify as Indigenous or African Nova Scotian
2. Confirmed enrollment in one of the specified undergraduate programs in the Faculty of Medicine, diploma or undergraduate programs in faculties of Dentistry and Health as well as entry to practice master’s programs in the Faculty of Health (see application for full list of eligible programs).
3. Registered as a full-time student and meets the academic expectations of the program.
4. Applicant must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident

Applicants under the Indigenous self-identification must provide the following supporting documents with their application to be considered for the scholarship:

Status First Nation

• A copy of a Certificate of Indian Status issued by the Government of Canada or a First Nation recognized by the Government of Canada
• Written confirmation of membership with a federally recognized band or tribal authority in in the US or Canada

Non-Status First Nation

• Written confirmation of membership with a federally recognized band or tribal authority in in the US or Canada

Inuit

• A copy of an Inuit enrolment or beneficiary card issued by a modern Inuit treaty organization or government (Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, Makivik Corporation, Nunatsiavut Government)
• Written confirmation of Inuit identity provided by any of the aforementioned Inuit bodies

Métis

• A copy of a card provided by one of the Métis National Council governing members (Métis Nation - Saskatchewan, Métis Nation of Alberta, Métis Nation British Columbia, and Métis Nation of Ontario)
• A copy of a card provided by the Manitoba Métis Federation or one of the Métis Settlements of Alberta
• Written confirmation of Métis identity provided by any of the aforementioned Métis bodies

For more information on Indigenous identity: https://www.dal.ca/dept/vpei/reports-resources/understanding-our-roots--task-force-on-settler-misappropriation-.html

Please email documentation confidentially to jsf@dal.ca

*False claims of Indigeneity are harmful regardless of intent. Such claims produce an erosion of trust, and they can result in the misappropriation of resources that are intended to support indigenous peoples. Where an individual asserts a claim to Indigenous identity, citizenship, or membership, Dalhousie university has an obligation to verify that such claims are consistent with the customs and traditions of the Indigenous peoples to which the individual claims belonging. Fraudulent behavior will be investigated and treated in accordance with university policy.

Many Indigenous nations are embarking on the complex task of restoring ties with individuals who have been disconnected due to colonialism (e.g., Sixties Scoop, Millennial Scoop, Indian Residential School, enfranchisement, etc.). If you have been impacted in this way, we encourage you to connect with the university to explore how some have reestablished membership or citizenship within their nations.

Dalhousie has a variety of awards for Indigenous students – both entrance and during your studies. 

Entrance Awards: March 15 is the deadline to apply for entrance awards (i.e. for your first year of study) – if you have been accepted to Dalhousie, you must pay your deposit, and sign up for your Dalhousie email to access the application on Dal. If you waiting to hear if you are accepted, you need to submit a paper copy of the application. This information can be found on the Money Matters page.

Dalhousie’s medical school offers a variety of bursaries to support all medical students. African Nova Scotian students in the program are considered for specific funding in this funding in this program based on ancestry and identified need. 

More information on specific scholarships and bursaries in medicine can be found on the medical admissions webpage. 

Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine’s Summer Research Program for Non-Medical Students aims to open new doors of opportunity to Black Maritimers/Canadians, African Nova Scotians, and Indigenous students interested in medicine and/or health research. The program is open to undergraduate students from these communities who are confident that health research will be part of their professional careers.

For more information and to apply

Criteria:

• Medical students in their second-last year of study are eligible.
• Medical students who have demonstrated an interest in or commitment to a career in family medicine are eligible.
• Nominees cannot have received this scholarship in the past three years.

For more information please visit: https://fafm.cfpc.ca/h-a/opportunities-medical-students/

Criteria:

• Applicants must be Indigenous medical students in Canada.
• Applicants must be in their second-last year of study.
• Applicants must be in good academic standing.
• Applicants cannot have received this scholarship in the past three years.

For more information please visit: https://fafm.cfpc.ca/h-a/opportunities-medical-students/

INSPIRE is an Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people for the long term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. With the support of its funding partners, Indspire disburses financial awards, delivers programs, and shares resources with the goal of closing the gap in Indigenous education.

Indspire’s Building Brighter Futures Bursaries, Scholarships, and Awards program helps alleviate some of the financial stress students may experience. Through this program, Indspire has provided almost $79 million through close to 25,000 financial awards to Canadian Indigenous students.

Indigenous students enrolled full-time at a post-secondary institution are eligible to apply.

https://indspire.ca/for-students/bursaries-scholarships/

The QEII Foundation Diversity in Health Care Bursary supports students who identify as African Nova Scotian/Black, Indigenous, Racialized, Immigrant, 2SLGBTQIA+, experiencing physical, cognitive or learning limitations that impact activities of daily living – or have intersectionality of these identities. 

While pursuing their dreams in health care, students are helping create a more robust healthcare system that is representative of Nova Scotian communities.

For more information please visit: https://qe2foundation.ca/current-priorities/diversity-health-care-bursaries

Many Canadian organizations and institutions offer scholarship opportunities.  Please review the following document for award details and contact information.

Indigenous Health Scholarship Resource 2018 [PDF 373 KB]