Prince George, BC – Allison Inderbitzin carefully examined all of the scholarship opportunities at UNBC, looking for ways to make her university education more affordable.

Before making a decision on where to attend university, Inderbitzin sat down with her mother and carefully looked through the more than 1,000 student awards UNBC offers each year.

UNBC Student Allison Inderbitzin. Download High Resolution Image.

A Smithers Secondary School graduate who volunteered at the local hospital and was active on school committees, Inderbitzin was already attracted to UNBC’s School of Health Sciences and liked the fact that she would be able to study close to home. Her decision to attend UNBC was sealed when she earned the Helen Thurwell Scholarship, one of the oldest endowed awards at UNBC. The renewable entrance scholarship is awarded each year to a female student from Northern BC who is active in the community and has proven academic excellence.

“I’m very thankful to receive the award,” says Inderbitzin. “The financial support really takes a big weight off my shoulders and my family’s shoulders. It made my decision to attend UNBC that much easier.”

Each year UNBC disburses hundreds of student awards worth millions of dollars. Applications are now open for students and prospective students for the 2015/16 academic year.

“Scholarships and bursaries at UNBC reward students for their hard work and classroom dedication as well as help relieve financial challenges,” says UNBC Coordinator Awards and Financial Aid Linda Fehr. “Thanks to the generosity of donors, UNBC continues to help hundreds of students each year through its awards program.”

In the 2013/14 academic year, UNBC provided 1,038 awards to students, worth more than $2.5 million. Students from Northern BC were awarded 65 per cent of the scholarships and bursaries.

Both the number of awards and their total value increased by one per cent from the 2012/13 year. Nearly three quarters of the awards are merit-based, with the remainder issued on the basis of financial need. In addition to the hundreds of awards funded directly by UNBC, there are also more than 430 donor-funded awards available for students.

Scholarships and bursaries can range from Entrance Awards, including the UNBC Scholars program for students from Northern BC who have the highest marks in their Grade 11 class and awards for current UNBC students who are continuing their studies at the university.

Information on what awards are available and how to apply can be found at UNBC.ca/financial-aid.