Black Students in Canada Fund
The Black Lives Matter movement has demonstrated the need for expanded awareness and support for Black communities facing anti-Black racism in Canada, and how it impacts every aspect of their life. Systemic anti-Black racism perpetuates intergenerational poverty; as a result, many Black students can face difficulties accessing public post-secondary education, which we believe is one of the most important tools for change. In solidarity with the movement, we initiated this fund for Black students to access public post-secondary education in Canada.
Though under the KEATCA umbrella, the Black Students in Canada is held separately in an endowment to provide support specifically for Black students. To learn more about the Black Students in Canada Fund, please visit our Instagram page @bsc_fund.
Required Criteria
This grant is reserved for Black students at post-secondary level.
Income Requirement
Canadian applicants must have a family income of less than $30,000 per year or have a family income of less than $30,000 CDN per annum in terms of the purchasing power parity (PPP) in their home countries.
Public Post-Secondary Requirement
Applicants must be enrolled in a public post-secondary educational institution.
“The roots of anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination in Canada run deep. They are historically embedded in our society, in our culture, in our laws and in our attitudes. They are built into our institutions and perpetuate the social and economic disparities that exist in everything from education, to healthcare, to housing and employment.”
~ Canadian Human Rights Commission (2020)
Our goal
Our goal is to create a sustainable endowment fund to support Black students in attending Canadian public post-secondary institutions. The money raised in this initiative will become a permanent part of the KEATCA endowment fund maintained at the Vancity Community Foundation in Vancouver, British Columbia. This endowment fund will hold the money donated and use the interest to sustainably provide grants in perpetuity.
We are aiming to raise a minimum of $125,000 to give out $5,000 in grants every year for years to come. Identification of the students will be done in partnership with Canadian Registered Charity Organizations run by and for Black communities.
Regardless of the amount raised, we will continue to support Black students through partner organizations.
Over $10,000 given in grants since 2022
Grants have been provided to students attending:
University of British Columbia
University of Calgary
University of British Columbia
University of Alberta
Athabasca University
How the grants are helping Black students?
“It is difficult to fully express the profound joy, gratitude, and relief I feel having been selected to receive the KEATCA Grant in partnership with the Black Students in Canada grant. Due to your support, I will pursue my legal education this upcoming year with a significantly reduced financial burden. Going to law school has been my dream for as long as I can remember. As such, I devoted many long days and nights throughout my academic and professional journey to bring this dream to fruition. Despite this, I was always concerned that the financial burden of attending law school would bar me from doing so. In part due to your generosity, that will not be the case. For that, I am eternally grateful.”
— TM, 2023, Black Students in Canada grant recipient