Indigenous Graduate Award

The value of the scholarship is $12,000 and paid out to recipient as one-time payment.

To be eligible, students must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Must have aboriginal ancestry and be Status Indian/First Nations, Non-Status Indian/First Nations, Métis, or Inuit
• Be a Canadian citizen
• Open to course-based or thesis-based study programs
• Open to masters or doctoral students. Students registered in a graduate certificate that can ladder into a Master's degree program are also eligible
• Current students must be registered full-time in Fall 2020 and/or Winter 2021 terms. Newly admitted January 2021 students must be registered full-time in Winter 2021. Note: Students who are registered with Student Accessibility Services or have a documented need for accommodation, can apply if they are enrolled in at least 40% of a full course load
• Students may reside within or outside of Alberta
• Must demonstrate academic excellence, as evidenced by one or more of the following:

o GPA of 3.3 or greater over the most recent 15 units in current program or if less than 15 credits have been completed AGPA will be used as a weighted factor, or AGPA;
o Research and/or academic contributions that may include published manuscripts, presentations, posters, exhibitions, community engagement, or performances;
o Previous record of scholarly achievement through awards, scholarships, prizes, among others

• Must be registered in years 1-4 of the master's program or years 1-6 of the doctoral program during the tenure of the scholarship
• Students may be enrolled and taking classes remotely/online or in-person

A student may only receive one Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship per year; these scholarships are NOT renewable.

Note: Qualifying students, students on academic probation, and students registered in non-standard fee programs are not eligible. For a complete list of non-standard fee programs, please refer to Programs with Non-Standard Fees 2020 - 2021.

Students must apply directly to FGSR by completing the online application in the GSMS Awards Portal; nomination by their home department is not required. Search for "Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship Indigenous" to access the application and for detailed instructions. Students may be nominated by their department for the AGES. Students who are successful in both AGES and AGES-Indigenous will be granted the AGES-Indigenous only.

AGES Indigenous Help Sheet

A complete application includes:

1) Up to date unofficial UofA Transcript (printed in Fall 2020)
2) CV
3) Research Proposal (maximum 1 page in length)
4) Completed Student Declaration form
5) Academic Letter of reference (this is done through the GSMS portal)
6) Proof of Indigenous ancestry (see below)

Students are required to provide proof of their Indigenous ancestry. A photocopy (front and back) of one of the accepted documents must be uploaded to the online application in the GSMS Awards Portal. Please write your status (Status Indian/First Nations, Non-Status Indian/First Nations, Métis, or Inuit) at the top of your document. The following is accepted as proof of ancestry:

• certificate of Indian Status, a status card or a band membership card
• letter from their band verifying the student's status
• membership card issued by a Métis organization that the student is registered with (Metis organization must be a legal entity)
• a certified copy of a Nunavut Trust Certificate card or Inuit beneficiary card
• letter of support from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada or Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
• a letter of support from an First Nation, Metis or Inuit organization (must be a legal entity) confirming the student's aboriginal ancestry
• proof that an ancestor's name has been entered;

- in the Indian Register according to the Indian Act; OR
- as beneficiary of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement

Note: If you are unsure about your residency or proof of Indigenous ancestry documents, please contact FGSR Award Services.

It is students' responsibility to ensure their application is complete before submitting in the GSMS Awards Portal. Student must click "submit" for FGSR to access their application. Successfully submitted applications will indicate the status of "FGSR Review".