NORTH ISLAND COLLEGE WWW.NIC.BC.CA

Students

Every year, as a new, continuing or graduating NIC student, you are eligible to apply for hundreds of scholarships and bursaries to help pay for college. These generous financial awards are made possible through the NIC Foundation by friends of North Island College who believe in the importance of education, and who want to ensure that finances don't stand between you and your career goals.

Scholarships and bursaries
Are you a student looking for emergency funding? Contact an NIC Financial Aid Advisor.

How to Apply

Only one application is required to be considered for all NIC Foundation awards which range in value and type of award. Scholarships are awarded for outstanding academic achievement while bursaries are based on financial assessment.

Successful recipients will be notified via their NIC email address. Please read our FAQ and watch our Application Tutorial Video and if you still have a question email financialaid@nic.bc.ca or call 250-334-5000 ext. 4244.

If you are a student on March 1, 2026, or plan to attend NIC at any point between September 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027, you are eligible to apply.
  • The online application form has several sections with specific questions related to your personal, NIC and financial details. All applicants will be asked to provide a Social Insurance Number which is required to generate a T4A upon receiving an award.
  • Applicants will need to provide Line 15000 from their most recent Tax Notice of Assessment. If you are common law or married, you will also need to provide your partner’s line 15000. Dependent students will need to provide their parent/guardian’s most recent Line 15000 from their Tax Notice of Assessment.
  • Graduating high school students can provide interim transcripts directly to NIC Admissions.
  • Give yourself enough time to complete the online application. You can save your application and come back to it; you do not need to complete the entire application at once.
  • Read questions carefully, provide thorough responses. We want to understand how we can help you to succeed. The more we understand about you, your goals, and your financial situation, the better chance you have of being selected for an award.
  • We are here to help and answer questions related to the application process. Email financialaid@nic.bc.ca or call 250-334-5000 Ext. 4244.
  • Fill out one application to be considered for hundreds of awards.
  • Provide all required information using the online application form and submit it before the deadline.
  • If you are selected for an award, we will send a notification to your myNIC email. Award offers have short deadlines, so be sure to check your myNIC inbox regularly.
  • We only email successful applicants — if you don't hear from us, it means you were not selected this time. We encourage you to apply again.
Award recipients must accept award terms through our online acceptance form. A link will be provided to you via your NIC email address. You will be prompted to provide an Introduction note and Impact Statement which the NIC Foundation will pass along to your donor.
  • Eligibility confirmation processing times may vary.
  • Students are responsible for paying tuition by posted deadlines in accordance with College Policy.
  • Once eligibility is confirmed, awards are applied as a credit to your myNIC account.
  • If you have no outstanding fees or if your award exceeds your fees, you may receive a payment for the remaining balance.
  • Balance credit of your award will be sent to you by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). You are responsible for updating your banking information on your myNIC account, or your award payment will be affected.

FAQs

  • Entering, continuing, transferring, and graduating students are eligible to apply.
  • All program areas, including short-term vocational and apprenticeship programs.
  • Sponsored students with tuition already covered.
  • Dual credit high school students – even with tuition covered by the district.
While there are some awards that take academic achievement into consideration (scholarships), many of our awards focus on financial need. So, you don't need top grades to be considered, and students with a wide range of academic background are encouraged to apply.
We want to understand how we can help you to succeed. You can save your application and come back to it; you do not need to complete the entire application at once. The more we understand about you, your goals, and your financial situation, the better chance you have of being selected for an award.
  • Line 15000 of your 2025 Tax Notice of Assessment or your total income from 2025
  • Your partner’s line 15000 if you are common law or married
  • Your parents’ line 15000 if you are a dependant (see definition of dependant on the award application)

To be considered for financial need-based type of awards, you must provide all the information in the Finance section of the application. Blanks and missing information will result in an incomplete application and will impact your ability to be considered for financial need-based awards.
You are encouraged to apply every year if you would like to be considered for NIC Foundation scholarships and bursaries.
Successful applicants will be notified through their myNIC email address. Award offers are time sensitive and could be sent anywhere between Summer 2026 and Winter 2027. Make sure to check your myNIC email regularly.
No, we will only notify successful award applicants. If you do not hear from us, it means you were not selected this time.
Thanks to the generosity of individuals, families, and community organizations, NIC students receive meaningful financial support through over 500 awards. Each year, the NIC Foundation distributes hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships and bursaries to help students focus on learning and achieving their goals.
Your award can be used towards NIC courses taken between September 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027. Once eligibility is confirmed, awards are applied as a credit to your myNIC account. Please note that eligibility confirmation processing times may vary, and students are responsible for paying tuition by posted deadlines in accordance with College Policy. If you have no outstanding fees or if your award exceeds your fees, you may receive a payment for the remaining balance.
Once you accept your award, the details are added to your student record. NIC advisors and frontline staff will be able to see this information and support you if you have any questions. For further assistance about your award, please contact financialaid@nic.bc.ca.
Award payments are processed after eligibility is confirmed, so timing can vary. If you’re worried about covering the cost of books upfront, we encourage you to connect with a Financial Aid advisor as early as possible. They can help talk through your options.

Awards are funded by donors and have specific eligibility criteria, so some students may be a closer match than others. Many awards also consider factors like financial need or minimum GPA requirements. This means that even deserving students may not receive an award.

Each year, more students apply for NIC Foundation awards than there is funding available. The NIC Foundation reviews this information each year to better understand student needs and help guide future fundraising.
Tell us how receiving an NIC Foundation scholarship or bursary made a difference for you. Email financialaid@nic.bc.ca.