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2026 BCGEU Scholarship Program – Now Open!
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Applications for the 2026 BCGEU Scholarship program are now being accepted.Â
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Our annual scholarship program of up to $125,000 offers awards of $2,500 for full-time students and $1,500 for part-time students. Scholarships are funded by the dues of our members. Â
Apply for a BCGEU Scholarship online here Â
Apply for a BCGEU Indigenous Scholarship here
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EligibilityÂ
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- A BCGEU member in good standing, or related to a current, retired or deceased BCGEU member or staff; andÂ
- A student or prospective post-secondary or higher learning student enrolled, registered or planning to attend an eligible educational institution in 2026.Â
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[1] Eligible relatives include spouses, (same or opposite and common law spouses); parents; and children and grandchildren (including foster, adopted, and stepchildren and step-grandchildren).Â
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[2] Eligible educational institutions must be recognized by Employment and Social Development Canada. A list can be found here.)Â
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Previous BCGEU scholarship recipients are not eligible to apply.Â
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For eligibility requirements for the Indigenous scholarship please see below.
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EssayÂ
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In addition to personal information and details of your education plan, you will be asked to answer Part 1: 2 short personal questions, and Part 2: interview an activist from the labour movement and write a reflection on the interview.
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Part 2 can be in essay format (max. 800 words), or a creative submission such as a video, infographic, or song. Infographics must be submitted in a PDF format. Videos must be submitted via a link to the video uploaded to YouTube.
Please selection one question from the list below for Part 2 of your application. You may submit an essay, infographic or video for Part 2.
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i. What are your thoughts about the activist's perspective on the labour movement and what factors do you think shaped their opinions?
ii. What was your most significant takeaway or enlightening moment from the interview?
iii. How has this experience altered your perceptions?
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Submissions suspected of plagiarism or being written by artificial intelligence (AI) will be disqualified.Â
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Submissions will be assessed on the following criteria:Â
· Did the application answer the question?Â
· Did the answer seem original, creative or include interview/research?Â
· Did the answers show evidence of understanding the importance of the labour movement in Canada?Â
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The deadline for submitting applications is midnight, Feb.15, 2026Â
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You may also be eligible for one of the scholarships offered by NUPGE, our National Union of Public and General Employees. Find details and apply directly here.Â
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2026 BCGEU Indigenous Scholarship EligibilityÂ
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Apply for a BCGEU Indigenous Scholarship here
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For the purpose of this scholarship, an Indigenous person (the legal term is Aboriginal person) in Canada, as recognized in the Constitution Act, 1982, is a person who identifies as First Nations (Status/Non-Status), MĂ©tis, or Inuit.Â
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Indigenous identity data is collected solely to determine scholarship eligibility.Â
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For First Nations applicantsÂ
You must provide one of the following:Â
- a copy of your Secure Certificate of Indian Status, orÂ
- a copy of your Certificate of Indian Status, orÂ
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For MĂ©tis applicantsÂ
You must provide one of the following:Â
- a copy of a MĂ©tis Nation Citizenship card from one of the 4 regional/provincial affiliates of the MĂ©tis National Council (MĂ©tis Nation British Columbia, MĂ©tis Nation of Alberta, MĂ©tis Nation Saskatchewan, and MĂ©tis Nation of Ontario); orÂ
- a copy of a valid MĂ©tis Citizenship and Harvester Identification Card from the Manitoba MĂ©tis Federation; orÂ
- a copy of a valid Citizenship card from the MĂ©tis Settlements of Alberta; orÂ
- a copy of a valid Citizenship card from the Northwest Territory MĂ©tis Nation.Â
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For Inuit applicantsÂ
You must provide a copy of an Inuit membership card issued by any one of the 4 Inuit Treaty Organizations or Governments that are covered by the Inuit Nunangat Policy:Â
- Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated,Â
- The Nunatsiavut Government,Â
- The Inuvialuit Regional Corporation.Â
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For all applicants (voluntary)Â
In addition to any one of the types of legal documentation listed above, all applicants are welcome to submit an alternative identity term (e.g., Kanien'kehá:ka, Anishinaabe, Treaty #3, etc.) with their application.Â
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Please note that membership to pan-Indigenous organizations will not be recognized.Â
Option 2 - Candidate self-declarationÂ
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If a candidate does not possess proof of the documentation listed in Option 1, they must submit a statement (minimum 200 words) about their lived experiences and ongoing relationship to a legally recognized Indigenous community, Nation, or people. This includes specific information about their First Nation, Inuit, or MĂ©tis community and can include copies of historical documents or oral testimony.Â
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The statement must be signed by 2 guarantors who are part of the community, Nation, etc. that the applicant describes their ties to. Guarantors must be over the age of 18 and cannot be members of the applicant's immediate family (i.e., no siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, children, grandchildren, or any step variations).Â
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Questions: email [email protected]
Download a copy of the 2026 Scholarship brochure here
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