A long-serving endowment fund that provides financial awards to Métis students attending Portage College is getting a $75,000 boost.

The funds will be ready for 2025-2026 student applications to the Métis Scholar Awards.

Provided by the Métis Education Foundation Endowment Fund, the awards represent a continuing partnership between Portage College, the Métis Education Fund, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, and the Rupertsland Institute. The endowment fund has provided financial awards to Portage College students each year since 2009.

“This investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting Métis learners and strengthening our partnership with Portage College,” says Lisa Savill, the senior executive officer of the Métis Education Foundation.

The purpose of the Métis Scholar Award is to encourage academic achievement and provide resources to Métis learners enrolled at the college, says Andrea Sandmaier, the president of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government and president of the Métis Education Fund.

“Education is a powerful tool for self-determination, and through this ongoing partnership, we are ensuring that Métis learners have the resources they need to succeed,” says Sandmaier. “The Métis Education Foundation remains committed to fostering opportunities that empower our citizens, strengthen our nation, and build a legacy of academic achievement for generations to come.”

About the Awards

The value for each Métis Scholar Award ranges from $1,500 to $10,000 for each successful applicant. Eligible award recipients are selected by a committee comprised of representatives from Portage College and the Métis Education Foundation.

To be eligible for an award, a student must meet certain criteria, including enrollment in a full-time undergraduate or graduate program at Portage College, have proof of Métis ancestry, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better, and demonstrate their financial need. 

The Office of the Registrar at Portage College will receive applications for the Métis Scholar Award.

“This donation is a wonderful gift honouring the people who contributed to the unique history of our College, and truly helping current Métis students on their learning pathways. We are so grateful for the continuing partnership with the Métis Education Foundation,” says Portage College President and CEO Nancy Broadbent.

Métis Education Foundation endowment funding agreements are in place at partner post-secondary institutions across Alberta.  

Full details about the eligibility criteria and application process can be found on the Portage College website pages for awards and scholarships.

About the Otipemisiwak Métis Government

The Métis Nation within Alberta is a rights-bearing Métis collectivity that includes over 70,000 registered Citizens as well as the Métis communities comprised of those citizens throughout Alberta. The Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) has been the representative and government of the Métis Nation within Alberta since 1928. In 2019 and 2023, the MNA signed self-government agreements with Canada. In 2022, through the largest Indigenous ratification vote in Canadian history, the Métis Nation within Alberta ratified the Otipemisiwak Métis Government Constitution. Following elections held in September 2023, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government has replaced the MNA as the government of the Métis Nation within Alberta. However, the MNA continues to be the legal and administrative arm of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government and will remain so until such time as the Otipemisiwak Métis Government enters into treaty with the Government of Canada.

The MNA is currently undertaking the vital work of fully implementing the Constitution and building democratic, transparent, and accountable self-government structures and institutions that are stable, credible, and will last for generations to come. This monumental step reaffirms the Nation’s sovereignty and the Otipemisiwak Métis Government's commitment to shaping its future, while strengthening support for Citizens of the Métis Nation within Alberta.

Otipemisiwak is a Plains Cree word meaning, “those who rule themselves.”

For further information, please contact:

Media Inquiries:

Portage College Corporate Communications Department

780-623-6671 or email pr@portagecollege.ca