Funding for Former Youth in Care
As a current or former youth in care, you may be eligible for the following funding:
- BC Provincial Tuition Waiver Program
- Learning for Future Grant
- Youth Futures Education Fund (YFEF)
- Agreements with Young Adults (AYA)
BC Provincial Tuition Waiver Program
The Provincial Tuition Waiver Program waives tuition and eligible fees for students admitted to a TRU undergraduate program who are eligible current or former youth in care and are studying full- or part-time.
Programs for Former Youth in Care
How to apply
- Apply for admission to an eligible TRU program, ideally the year prior to your intended program start date. Once you have received a letter of acceptance to the program, you can then apply for the tuition waiver.
- Download and complete the Provincial Tuition Waiver Program Application form.
You must be admitted to the program before we can accept or submit the tuition waiver application. - Email your completed tuition waiver application (as a PDF) to [email protected], or bring the completed form to the Student Awards & Financial Aid office.
The tuition waiver application process can take up to six weeks. Once we have been advised by the provincial government that you are approved, your eligibility will automatically renew each semester as long as you remain in the eligible program and courses. You do not need to re-apply.
After you have registered for course(s), you will normally need to purchase the required books and materials (and in some cases equipment) on your own. The Learning for Future Grant is intended to cover these costs.
If registering for Open Learning courses, please note that most books and materials are bundled into the cost of registration. This means that you will need to cover the cost for these items (books, materials, and shipping) at the time of registration. Therefore be prepared for the additional costs prior to registering. If necessary, we can arrange a fee deferral to use a portion of your Learning for Future grant to cover these costs, but this will delay your course registration and require additional steps.
Learning for Future Grant
This Learning for Future Grant provides an annual grant of $3,500 once per program year (August 1 to July 31) to eligible current or former youth in care students to assist with additional education related costs that are not covered by the Provincial Tuition Waiver Program (e.g. textbooks, computers, supplies, etc.)
Youth Futures Education Fund (YFEF)
The Youth Futures Education Fund (YFEF) program assists students receiving the BC Provincial Tuition Waiver. Every student receiving the tuition waiver will be emailed once or twice a year and invited to apply for additional funding from YFEF. Funds are normally disbursed once in the fall, and again late in the winter term if funds remain.
Agreements with Young Adults (AYA)
The Agreements with Young Adults (AYA) program can assist you if you have been in foster care or had youth agreement. This program can provide up to maximum of $1,250 per month to help cover living expenses such as housing, food, etc.
If you have questions...
For tuition waiver payment questions, including when tuition waiver refunds will be processed, email [email protected] (TRU Finance).
For all other financial questions such as how to pay for your education, email Student Awards & Financial Aid at [email protected].
For non-financial questions related to course registration, grades, transcripts, etc., visit Enrolment Services.
Explore the Student Awards & Financial Aid website to discover other full-time or part-time grants and loans which may help cover additional living expenses.
If you have band funding or other sponsorships, see Tuition Sponsorship.
Please note that if you are applying for StudentAid BC full-time grants and student loans, the full value of your tuition waiver credits must be claimed on Line 52a of your loan application as a resource. However the Learning for Future Grant is exempt and does not need to be claimed.
