The Indigenous Student Development Fund provides support for Indigenous students facing unexpected financial challenges that may impact their academic progress. It will be adjudicated on a case-by-case basis. Preference will be given to first-time applicants.
Application Requirements
To apply, students must:
- Demonstrate financial need with supporting documentation (e.g., quotes, overdue bills, invoices)
- Be registered full-time or part-time in the current term and in good academic standing
- Meet with a staff member from our office before a decision is made
- Submit only one application per term
Examples of expenses that may be considered include:
- Food, groceries and personal care needs
- Housing/rent
- Textbooks and educational costs
- Technology supports
- Job loss income support
- Wellness expenses and medical supports not covered by insurance
Funds are distributed through Quest, however if there are outstanding unpaid fees the funds will be allocated to the fees owed to the University of Waterloo
Eligibility
Indigenous students actively enrolled at the time of application in any undergraduate or graduate program at the University of Waterloo, including affiliated and federated institutions of Waterloo.
For the purposes of this fund, an Indigenous person is one who is a citizen or member of a First Nations, Métis, or Inuit as defined in the Canadian Constitution Act 1982.
Please note that in order to have access to the fund, students will need to upload their citizenship/membership documents in Quest as per the University of Waterloo’s Indigenous Citizenship/Membership Verification Guidelines.
Application
While we will make every effort to address ISDF requests as soon as we can, we will connect with you within 7-10 business days.