FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions
Travel Eligibility
The only way a person is eligible for seasonal travel is if they live in Berens River and need to travel to Winnipeg to attend school. Your point of sponsorship is what it is based on. (Example #1) If your application indicates you live in Winnipeg, and your school is in Winnipeg, then you are not eligible for travel.
Seasonal Travel Dates: Return Travel (Christmas) and Return Travel (Summer Break) only. There is no spring break or any long weekend travel dates.
Out of Province Travel, same rules apply. (Example #2) If you want to attend school in another province, you may have to pay your own travel. The only exception is if there is a rare/specific program offered only out of province and not available locally; then you would be considered for travel eligibility. (Consideration is decided by Committee approval)
(Example #3) If you are a student living off-reserve and attending a local school, you will not be eligible for travel to Berens River. These policy standards are in place to ensure our budget feasibility and not for abuse or convenience. Your permanent home of residence and the location of your school are factored in the budget planning process.
Post secondary Application Deadline has passed!
We are unable to accept late applications. We receive over 100 applications for Post Secondary sponsorship every year and have funding to only support 50-60. We have a high detailed application process to determine those who are serious about their Education. Please respect those who prepare well ahead of time to secure their chance at receiving funding for sponsorship. Education Committee cannot wait on late applications or any missing documentation by the time they begin their selection process in June of every year. We encourage everyone who seeks sponsorship for Post Secondary to carefully plan and take all conditions into consideration before our application deadline.
I wanted to take spring/summer courses, is that possible?
Yes and No; Under Post Secondary Programs the running fiscal budget cannot afford to sponsor during the Spring & Summer months. Please keep that in mind when applying for Sponsorship Under Post Secondary Programs.
Yes, if you are seeking short term sponsorship, you can apply/request information with the Employment & Training Program (Formally known as PATHWAYS).
I am in College, and my program runs into spring, will I have to complete a spring/summer sponsorship application?
No, we are aware that a college year runs from September to June in a single academic year. In special cases, some programs such as Cohort (Part-time) programs and extended education programs run all year long. A letter from the institution will state the start and end dates for each academic year and that is what your sponsorship will coincide with.
I applied for sponsorship as a single dependent but I would like to claim my kids as dependents, what can I do to get the extra support?
Under our policy and Indigenous Services Canada policy, we can support extra dependents if they are registered band members of Berens River First Nation. If they are not, then you have the choice to follow Band Membership Transfer procedures with our Band Membership Administrator. Once that is complete, provide a letter from ISC or photo copies of your dependents treaty cards. If your children were formally claimed under social assistance within the last 2 months, a letter from your welfare and social services agency must be provided to prove that your dependents are not being claimed anywhere else. Any fraudulent activities is illegal.
I moved off-reserve to attend my school and have requested moving expenses, will I still be allowed travel back to Berens River?
No. Please be aware that when moving expenses is requested you are also changing your permanent address & no longer eligible for seasonal travel.
Seasonal Travel is only given to students who remain living on-reserve. If you have family to consider, you can get travel for them as well if they qualify as dependents.
If I am ever in a bind and would need to request an emergency loan, can student services assist me?
Technically no, our budget is planned in June and July for the whole year to cover tuition, book and supply costs; however in some circumstances we also considered the unforeseen costs. A contingent amount was budgeted for each student to cover these unexpected fees. This contingent money is for school related expenses such as security deposits on school owned property, special program clothing & registration fees, anything other non-related to your sponsorship will not be covered by Student Services.
If your emergency is not directly related to your education, you can take the proper steps to approach and request support from the Band.
If I am in a bind that is school related and need extra support, what can I do?
First and foremost you must write your request in a letter addressed to the Education Committee. Describe the nature of the request and purpose for the support you are asking for. Be specific and thorough; the Education Committee needs to understand your request to make a proper decision. Be aware that this process does take 3-6 weeks to process, so please allow enough time for the Committee to deliberate and coordinate with our budget to produce an answer. Please kind in mind that we cannot pay for anything other than Education Related expenses, there are ISC policies that state what we can and cannot do with the funding we receive for Post Secondary Education.