The University of Guelph has launched several new scholarships, bursaries and other financial awards for students from Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) communities.
The financial awards spanning many of the colleges and departments across campus are part of an action plan recently announced by U of G president Dr. Charlotte Yates to address racism and discrimination at the University by promoting equity, diversity and inclusivity.
The action plan is intended to bring together members of BIPOC communities to advise and guide the University on addressing racism on campus and promoting anti-racism efforts. This includes identifying and addressing systemic barriers to full and equal participation on U of G campuses and in the University’s policies, procedures and practices.
“The University is committed to making real change on our campuses and beyond. Establishing more opportunities for students from Black, Indigenous and people of colour communities to receive financial awards is one part of this change,” said Yates.
In response to the action plan, scholarships, bursaries and other financial awards for students from BIPOC communities have been created in recent months.
The University now offers 10 undergraduate entrance awards, 11 undergraduate in-course awards and six graduate awards to support students from BIPOC communities. These build on existing University awards, such as the Indigenous Graduate Scholarship, which, since 2016, has supported First Nation, Inuit and Métis graduate students with multiple awards of $120,000 for doctoral students and $30,000 for masters students. Other new financial awards are pending.
“These awards will not only provide students with financial aid and the opportunity to access higher education, but they will also contribute to building a more diverse campus where all voices are heard and celebrated,” said Yates. “This is just the beginning and we plan to continue to focus our efforts on increasing opportunities for financial support for students from Black, Indigenous and people of colour communities. We know we have a lot more work to do.”
Yates added that some of these awards were made possible thanks to gifts from donors.
“I want to thank all the people who have generously donated to these valuable awards. It is fantastic to see our community so interested in providing support for students from Black, Indigenous and people of colour communities.”
The list of financial awards for students from BIPOC communities can be found at the Student Financial Services webpage. This list will be updated as new awards are established.
To learn more about opportunities on how to financially support students from BIPOC communities attending U of G, contact Frances Houston, director, alumni and annual giving, at fhouston@uoguelph.ca.