STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES 

The Chief Joe Mathias British Columbia Aboriginal Scholarship Fund (the “Fund”) is a nationally registered charity established in memory of the late Chief Joe Mathias to support his vision of post-secondary education for all First Nations people. The Fund is an incorporated society under the BC Societies Act.

The purpose of the Fund is to advance education by providing scholarships to deserving British Columbia First Nations students who demonstrate merit and financial need. Through this support, the Fund aims to improve access to post-secondary education so that First Nations students in British Columbia can acquire the knowledge and skills needed to participate in a changing economy and society.

The goal of the Fund’s BC First Nations Teacher Scholarship Program, established with the financial assistance of the Ministry of Education and Child Care, is to provide scholarships for First Nations students enrolled in teacher education programs offered by public post-secondary institutions in British Columbia that lead to a Certificate of Qualification to teach in K–12 schools. All eligible applicants will be considered for scholarships of up to $5,000 annually.

ELIGIBLITY REQUIREMENTS

The Fund will grant scholarships only to individuals who:

• Are members or citizens of a British Columbia First Nation;
• Have been accepted into, or are currently enrolled in, a teacher education program at one of the following public post-secondary institutions as either a full-time or part-time student:
  • Simon Fraser University
  • Thompson Rivers University
  • University of British Columbia
  • University of Northern British Columbia
  • University of the Fraser Valley
  • University of Victoria
  • Vancouver Island University
• All teacher education programs leading to a Certificate of Qualification offered by the above institutions are eligible, including:
  
  (a) Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degrees; or
  (b) post-degree professional or post-baccalaureate teacher education programs (where a student has already completed a bachelor’s degree in another discipline).

Please note that Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Education Assistant programs are not eligible for this scholarship. Students enrolled in these programs may apply under the general Chief Joe Mathias Scholarship Application, which is broader in scope.

APPLICATIONS

Applications will be reviewed each year at a special meeting of the Board of Directors held for the purpose of awarding scholarships. All scholarship applications must conform to the requirements outlined in the following application form.