A $500,000 donation from The Joyce Family Foundation will establish new bursaries at the University of Victoria to help Indigenous students with financial need achieve their academic goals.

“The generosity of the Joyce Family Foundation will have a tremendous impact on our ability to enhance access and support for Indigenous students,” says UVic president Jamie Cassels. “It will advance our objective to help Indigenous students achieve their full potential and strengthen our capacity to be a partner in their academic success.”

The Joyce Family Foundation is a private, family foundation created by Canadian entrepreneur Ronald V. Joyce. The foundation is dedicated to supporting the social, economic and emotional well-being of children and youth by empowering them to develop into healthy, confident, independent contributors to Canadian society.

“The Joyce Family Foundation is proud to offer this gift to UVic in support of Indigenous students. I believe that higher education can help young people focus on their interests and talents and realize their dreams,” says Joyce.

“This generous gift helps bridge the funding gap for Indigenous students who do not receive band funding, particularly for non-status and Métis students,” says Lalita Kines, acting director of UVic’s Office of Indigenous Affairs.

Indigenous students are enrolled in every faculty at UVic in a wide range of academic programs at both the graduate and undergraduate level. An Indigenous student enrolment of almost 1,200 represents a 36 per cent increase over the past decade. Notably for a research institution such as UVic, the number of Indigenous graduate students has increased by 130 per cent in the same period.

The Joyce Family Foundation's primary focus is to provide access to education for children and youth with significant financial need or who face other socio-economic barriers to success. The board of The Joyce Family Foundation includes Ron Joyce, Grant Joyce, Steven Joyce, Ed Lumley, Rob MacIsaac, Aileen O’Rafferty and Michele Thornley.

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