Indigenous students at NAIT will have access to a new source of funding starting in Fall 2025, thanks to a new bursary approved by NAITSA’s Senate. $225,000 has been “placed into an endowment fund with a target annual return of 4%, funding multiple $1,500 bursaries each year,” the announcement said.
This is the first NAITSA bursary specifically for Indigenous students, and NAITSA President Jenna Luczak is excited that the students’ association has a new way to show their commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.
“Land acknowledgements are a great thing if they’re acted upon…I really felt there was a gap in an actual tangible support that is specifically for Indigenous students,” Luczak said.
“I think NAITSA and the NAIT community, we do have a long way to go for Truth and Reconciliation, and this is definitely the beginning steps of our Truth and Reconciliation. And we definitely look forward to working and collaborating with the Nîsôhkamâtotân to make sure that our efforts stay true to what the student body needs going forward.”
The Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre did not respond to requests for comment.
The bursary will be managed by NAIT’s scholarships and awards committee; NAITSA and the Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre are still finalizing the eligibility criteria, but it will be targeted towards returning students. Some Indigenous students receive funding from their bands or national resources, but that funding is often targeted to first-year students, Luczak explained.
“Returning students are at a bigger disadvantage, especially if they have families or people that they’re supporting at home.”
More details will be announced when the criteria has been determined, but Luczak didn’t have a timeline on when.
NAITSA thanked the student body “for their continued support in making NAIT a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for all” as they wait to share updates.
This article is part of the Nugget’s March 2025 issue.
Cover photo: A tipi outside of CAT, as part of NAIT’s 2024 Treaty Days. Photo by Skylar Boissonnault
