In the last two years, $30,500 of Paper Excellence’s Indigenous Student Success Fund has been spent to support 28 Vancouver Island University Trades students.

Indigenous students are often commuting from smaller, remote communities. Indigenous Student Success Fund provides flexible wrap-around financial support to Indigenous Trades students who are struggling with paying for things like transportation, rent, food for meals, and childcare while studying in Nanaimo.

“My experience with students receiving the Paper Excellence funds is that they are all very grateful. One of the main issues that students I have worked with face is the cost of carrying accommodations back home, while they pay for accommodations when they come to Nanaimo to do their program,” said Jennifer Christoffersen, Educational Advisor for Aboriginal Students expresses. “Most students are not receiving funding of any kind and their monthly income is lost while they are completing their apprentice program at VIU.  I also have had students that have families back home and their need is to take care of their families back home.”

 The Paper Excellence Indigenous Student Success Fund is making a difference. Providing this kind of wrap-around support beyond tuition can be the difference between students being successful in their studies rather than dropping out. Being able to get this support means more Indigenous Trades students are achieving their educational goals. 

Paper Excellence’s original donation was $60,000 so we’re halfway through our funding. We’re looking forward to supporting more students over the next three years.