Donation provides bursaries for Indigenous students

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

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.

“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 at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. An Indigenous student enrolment of almost 1,200 represents a 36 per cent increase over the past decade. 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.