Grant and Funding Programs Offered by First Nation Education Steering Committee (FNESC)

The First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) is a provincial, First Nations–controlled organization created in 1992 to advance high‑quality education for First Nations learners in British Columbia. Working under the direction of First Nations leadership, FNESC provides policy leadership, second‑ and third‑level services, and manages several funding mechanisms that support First Nations schools, communities, and post-secondary institutes across the province.

FNESC plays a central role in implementing the BC Tripartite Education Agreement: Supporting First Nation Student Success (BCTEA). Through BCTEA, FNESC helps design and explain funding formulas for First Nations schools, notably via the BCTEA Funding Handbook and the BCTEA Funding Estimator tool, which assist communities in understanding allocations and forecasting school revenues for planning and budgeting purposes.

FNESC co-administers the BC First Nations Post-Secondary Partnerships Program (PSPP), which funds community‑based post-secondary programming delivered by First Nations and First Nations‑mandated institutes. The PSPP has regular calls for proposals, clear guidelines, proposal and budget templates, assessment criteria, and published lists of funded projects, demonstrating a structured grant program aimed at increasing the number of First Nations students who pursue and complete post-secondary education.

In partnership with the First Nations Schools Association (FNSA), FNESC also runs the Co‑operative Education Program (Co‑op Ed Program). This program provides grants to eligible First Nation schools (grades 7–12) to support co‑op and work‑experience initiatives that build employability skills, promote the value of education for labour‑market participation, and expose youth to diverse career paths. Calls for proposals are time‑limited, and FNESC supports applicants through information sessions and dedicated support contacts.

Beyond direct grants, FNESC strengthens the wider funding and accountability environment. It co-developed amendments to the BC School Act, supports the use of Local Education Agreements (LEAs) between First Nations and school boards, and provides model LEAs, backgrounders, template letters and guiding principles. These tools help First Nations secure appropriate services and transparent funding relationships with public and independent school authorities.

FNESC further assists First Nations post-secondary education coordinators through a PSE Resource Line and workshops that address administration of national funding programs, scholarships and awards, eligibility questions, and local policy issues. This support directly affects how financial aid is planned, managed and accessed by First Nations learners.

FNESC is accountable to all First Nations in BC through a large board with one representative per member First Nation. Its mission is to increase the success of First Nations learners by building community capacity, advocating for systemic change, and ensuring that education is grounded in First Nations’ ways of knowing. While FNESC does not fund individual students or staff directly, it manages and influences multiple funding streams and grant programs that collectively enhance the First Nations education system province‑wide.