StrongerBC future skills grant

To be eligible for the StrongerBC future skills grant, you:

• must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person entitled to study in Canada
• are a B.C. resident and currently live in BC
• must be 19 years or older or have graduated high school by the start of your course/program
• need to provide consent for the University of Victoria to disclose your information to the province of British Columbia
• should not be receiving duplicative and/or overlapping funding to cover eligible costs (i.e. grants, loans, scholarships or other funding that covers the same program costs as the StrongerBC future skills grant)
• commit to completing your program by August 31, 2025 and pay remaining program fees if applicable

You should also understand that:

• FSG benefits may have tax implications
• the FSG is subject to a lifetime maximum of $3,500
• if you are receiving any federal or provincial benefit, such as Employment Insurance (EI) or BC Employment Assistance (BCEA), you must seek approval from the appropriate government body before participating in a program
• the amount of FSG funding you receive is subject to review and audit
• Your entire grant will become non-refundable after the withdrawal date for the first course of your program

Funding from the future skills grant covers all costs associated with your micro-credential program including:

• program or application fee
• tuition fees
• program/course materials such as textbooks, required program software and tools

Note: This grant can't be put towards childcare, living allowances and transportation.

Registrations are very limited for 2024-25, are by full program, and are by first come first serve. This means all fees noted above will be charged to the students’ future skills grant $3,500 lifetime maximum fund at the time of registration in the program. If a student has already used some part of their $3,500 future skills grant fund, they are responsible for paying the difference in cost at the time of registration in the program. All fees are non-refundable towards the $3,500 lifetime maximum past the initial withdrawal deadline for your program.

1. Review your eligibility above and on WorkBC.
2. Find a program you are interested in from the list below and make sure you meet any additional admission requirements.
3. Ensure that you can complete the program prior to August 31, 2025. Learners must understand that they are committing to a full program in order to receive the FSG funds for all program expenses, and are responsible for ensuring they can complete all required courses. Limited course selection may apply, however, and published schedules of winter (January) or summer (May) 2025 term courses may not be available at the time of committing to program completion. Course selection may be limited, and learners should plan ahead to ensure that they access the courses needed to complete based on availability. Learners must register in all courses prior to February 28, 2025
4. Ensure that you can cover all remaining costs yourself. For example, If you have $1,800 in StrongerBC Future Skills Grant funding available, and the costs for your program include a $20 program fee, $1,815 in tuition and $180 in textbooks, totalling $2,015, you will be billed an additional $215 immediately to complete the program.
5. Note that the grant cannot be applied retroactively – do not register in courses or apply to a program until you are able to do so using your funding.
6. If you have already taken courses toward an approved program, but have not previously used grant funding toward that program, you can apply for the grant via the process below to use toward your remaining requirements. However, while the grant cannot be applied toward courses already completed, you will be charged for the cost of the full program.
7. If you received grant funding last year, you will still need to re-apply through the process below. You are not automatically approved for 2024-25.
8. If you are a learner currently in-progress within a program for which you used StrongerBC Future Skills grant funding 2023/24, please contact uvcsreg@uvic.ca to register in your next course. As noted above, you will still need to re-apply for funds through the process below.

1. You must apply/register through both Continuing Studies and the StrongerBC future skills grant application system. Your application will not be considered complete until through both systems.
2. UVic FSG applications open August 6, 2024. Seats are limited and are first-come, first-served (though both UVic and confirmation of approval through the StrongerBC Future Skills grant application system).
3. You will need a BC Services Card Account to register for the StrongerBC future skills grant. If you don’t have one, please keep in mind it can take several days to process.
4. Click on the program from the list below to register or apply for the program and complete the FSG eligibility form. Please note some programs require an application to the program prior to course registration, while most allow for immediate registration in courses.
5. Once you have applied to the program, you may register for any courses that are open for registration. Please note if you select a program with a required program application, you will be notified once accepted, and can register for courses after that time. It is the responsibility of learners to register in the courses required to complete their program.
6. When registering for the courses that make up the program, simply select the StrongerBC future skills grant tuition program fee type. 
7. Once in your shop cart, you will be asked to declare that you meet the eligibility for this grant.