North West College (NWC) campuses in Meadow Lake (left) and North Battleford (right). (photo/ NWC's website and battlefordsNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

CROWN INVESTMENTS CORPORATION

CIC bursary program ‘opens doors’ for Indigenous students at North West College

May 20, 2025 | 12:31 PM

A recently expanded provincial bursary program is opening doors for more Indigenous students at North West College (NWC), which is among several regional institutions now eligible for post-secondary funding through the Crown Investments Corporation (CIC).

“The Indigenous Bursary Program has been an amazing contribution to allow the college to reach out to the community, to encourage them, to give them an incentive to feel comfortable in coming back to post-secondary education,” said Dr. Priscilla Lothian, the college’s vice president of Marketing and Student Experience.

Alongside NWC, the program now provides funding to students enrolled at Northlands College, Suncrest College, Southeast College, Great Plains College and the Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI). These institutions join the list of existing recipients, which includes the University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) and Lakeland College.

Since its launch in 2004, it has awarded more than 1,300 bursaries. Between 2018 and 2024, CIC invested nearly $2.2 million through the initiative. With its expansion, 115 bursaries valued at $5,000 each will now be awarded annually, totalling $575,000 in yearly funding.

Lothian said five students at NWC have already received bursaries, and with four years remaining in the five-year agreement, the college expects to award five more each year for a total of 25 students.

LOCAL LEGACY

'We lasted over 40 years togather': Former owners return to celebrate Sound City's 50th anniversary

8h ago

Extreme Weather

Conditions favourable for severe storms in Saskatchewan on Saturday

9h ago

Police work

Man's sudden death deemed non-criminal: Prince Albert Police

10h ago

“The money allows them to reduce those barriers to transportation, childcare, [and] enables them to afford the necessary supplies required for the best education,” she said.

She added the student response has been overwhelmingly positive.

“The students were ecstatic when they received that. It just opened up the door for many students. That’s what the comment I heard — opens the door,” she said.

In a release, SIIT’s director of advancement, Kendra Rowswell, said the bursaries have “significantly reduced financial barriers for Indigenous students, enabling them to pursue their educational goals.”

“CIC’s continued generosity ensures that this impact will be felt for generations to come,” she said.

GDI”s chief executive officer(CEO) Brett Vandale said the bursary provided to the institute’s scholarship foundation helps create opportunities for Métis students “who are unable to access other sources of financial support, one of the major barriers to attending and achieving a higher education.”

To qualify for the CIC bursary, students must self-declare Indigenous ancestry, be Saskatchewan residents for at least 12 months, maintain satisfactory academic standing and be registered full time.

Lothian said Indigenous learners make up a significant portion of the student body at NWC campuses in both North Battleford and Meadow Lake.

“The Indigenous community is over 60 per cent of the college,” she said. “We probably have a lot more if they self-declare.”

She said the bursary aligns with the college’s broader commitment to reconciliation.

“The college itself has an indigenization charter and we support the Indigenous community 110 per cent,” she said. “This is another step as a positive collaboration in building those respectful relationships.”

“Working in a college that is inclusive, we support all students,” she added. “But just allowing the opportunity for Indigenous students to walk through our doors [and] feel supported… It’s wonderful news.”

More information about the CIC Indigenous Bursary Program is available at www.cicorp.sk.ca.

—

Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com