Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT) has announced that it plans to close the Grade 12 immediate entry gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous graduates by expanding their Immediate Entry Bursary to all First Nation School Association’s Grade 12 graduates.
In 2018, NVIT focused on increasing immediate entry of all Grade 12 graduates in School District 58 by announcing a three-year pilot program for an entry bursary. The program is now expanded to be province wide, and will continue indefinitely.
NVIT President and CEO, Ken Tourand, addressed the BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) regarding the program and who is able to apply.
“NVIT invites eligible Indigenous Grade 12 graduates to join us this fall on either the Merritt or Burnaby campuses for an educational experience immersed in Indigenous ways of knowing and supported by a bursary equivalent to tuition for one year of full-time studies,” said Tourand.
He went on to say that closing the immediate entry gap is of utmost importance to NVIT. In the 2013-14 school year, 53.5-percent of non-Indigenous graduates immediately transitioned into a post-secondary education, in comparison to just under 40-percent of Indigenous Grade 12 graduates.
“NVIT has the commitment and support of the BCAFN for its implementation of the provincial Immediate Entry Bursary,” said Terry Teegee, a Regional Chief of BCAFN.
“We applaud the consistent commitment and initiative of NVIT toward improving the quality of life for Indigenous people and communities.”
According to a press release from NVIT, BC’s only Aboriginal post-secondary institution, “NVIT consistently maintains the lowest tuition in the province, responds to curriculum delivery requests by First Nation communities and agencies, and ensures a relevant learning experience immersed in Indigenous ways of being.”
Jamie Sterritt, Chair of NVIT’s Board of Governors, stated, “the Immediate Entry Bursary is yet another example of NVIT’s commitment to close the socio-economic gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.”
Morgan Hampton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Merritt Herald
