MILLION DOLLAR BURSARY

We’ll send you an email in mid-May to let you know if you have qualified. Please remember, *you must continue to use your account for your everyday banking needs (completing multiple transactions per month, not including e-transfers) until you claim your award.

Didn't receive the email? Check your junk email folder or email us at milliondollarbursary@beemcreditunion.ca

Bursary recipients will be determined in this order:

1. Has the applicant met all of the eligibility criteria (mandatory)
2. If there are more than 1,000 applicants:​

• Bursaries will be awarded based on the order in which the applications were received.

Make sure you are using your account consistently for multiple transactions* and purchases with your MemberCard. Please refrain from making small transfers between your accounts as it does not count as ‘everyday banking’ activity.

Other great ways to meet this requirement are: deposits, CRA direct deposit for government payments, payroll direct deposit, or setting up bill payments (like rent, loan payments, cell phone, utilities etc.) to automatically come out of your account each month until your award is paid.

If you are still worried you may not be able to qualify, please contact us directly milliondollarbursary@beemcreditunion.ca or call the Interior Savings Member Service Centre 1-855-220-2580, North Peace Savings Member Service Centre 1-877-787-0361, Gulf & Fraser Member Hub 1-866-736-4334, or BlueShore Financial 1-888-713-6728.

Absence of overdrafts, delinquencies, fraud etc. Basically, don’t spend money you don’t have and, if we’ve given you a loan, please pay it back as scheduled.

Exceptions may be made if you are temporarily living outside of our region to attend school or travel or if you have been a long-standing, loyal member for more than 3 years.

You may also want to check out the other bursary programs we support.

In mid-May, 2025 we will begin accepting your proof of tuition payment receipts and proof of enrollment to verify your program meets our criteria. Awards will be paid directly into members’ accounts between September 1, 2025 and June 1, 2026. Please allow up to two weeks for processing your award after you have submitted the correct documents to milliondollarbursary@beemcreditunion.ca. In the meantime, please remember to keep your account active per the eligibility requirements.

Bursaries not claimed prior to June 1, 2026 will no longer be held. There are no possible exceptions after this point. Visit our website for more info on bursary awards for the following year.

In May, we will let you know via email if you’ve qualified and we will provide a link to upload your tuition receipt. You can also email your tuition receipt to milliondollarbursary@beemcreditunion.ca or drop it off at any Interior Savings or North Peace Savings, Gulf & Fraser, GFCU Savings or BlueShore Financial branch. Click here for examples of acceptable proof of tuition.

No problem (and nice work)! It doesn’t matter whether you paid for it yourself or had help from a family member or other financial awards.

The intent of the Million Dollar Bursary program is to encourage young students to pursue post-secondary and to not put it off for too long.

If you are not joint on your child’s account, we can only discuss the status of their bursary application with you if they included your contact information in their bursary application. If you wish to be added after-the-fact, please have your child contact Interior savings Member Service Centre at 1-855-220-2580, North Peace Savings Member Service Centre at 1-877-787-0361, Gulf & Fraser at 1-866-736-4334, BlueShore Financial Solution Centre at 1-888-713-6728, or book an appointment in branch.

Students can check out the Credit Union Foundation of BC bursary program. Students can receive an award every year and credit union members may be eligible to receive two awards per year. There are three application periods per year and bursaries are awarded based on financial need. Learn more at: https://cufoundation.org/student-application/

We also fund Life Long Learner bursaries at Okanagan College, Thompson Rivers and UBC Okanagan which are intended for mature students who have dependents (see your school's awards office to apply).

We fund Northern Lights College every year for two $1,000 scholarships and awards $260 to the top student enrolled in the business management program.

Through the Phoenix Foundation of the Boundary Communities, we also offer schlarships up to $1,500 per student in support of post-secondary education.