Metis Nation British Columbia Education Funding: Amounts, Deadlines and Eligibility
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 19, 2026 • Canadian Universities & Colleges, Canadian Student Aid & Scholarships
Metis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) pays post-secondary costs through its STEPS program, capped at $12,500 a year and $50,000 over your lifetime, and it runs on a rolling waitlist instead of fixed deadlines.
💵 STEPS covers tuition, mandatory fees, and $250 a semester, or $500 a funding contract, for books and materials.
⏱️ No fixed deadline. Applications are reviewed first-completed, first-served, and go on a waitlist when funding runs out.
🎓 You must be a registered MNBC Metis Citizen to apply.
📩 Apply online and expect a reply within about two business days from the STEPS team.
What STEPS Is
Skills Training, Employment and Post Secondary (STEPS) is Metis Nation British Columbia's funding program for Metis Citizens pursuing post-secondary education, skills training or a professional designation. It pays money directly toward your education costs rather than issuing a one-time scholarship.
What STEPS Pays For
| Cost | What STEPS covers |
|---|---|
| Tuition | Program tuition costs |
| Mandatory fees | Required program and institutional fees |
| Professional designation | Designation fees and related tutoring |
| Books and materials | $250 per semester, or $500 per funding contract |
Funding tops out at $12,500 in any 52-week period, with a lifetime cap of $50,000 per client across your entire education. Track your own running total against that lifetime cap if you plan to apply across multiple years or programs.
Who Qualifies
You must be a registered MNBC Metis Citizen to apply for STEPS. MNBC does not list additional academic or income requirements on the program page beyond citizenship and enrollment in an eligible program.
How to Apply
Confirm your MNBC Metis Citizenship is active before you start.
Go to the Apply for Education or Skills Training Funding portal linked from mnbc.ca .
Submit a complete application with your program details and costs. Incomplete applications do not enter the review queue.
Wait for a STEPS team member to contact you. MNBC states a typical response time of about two business days for general inquiries.
Applications Run on a Waitlist, Not a Deadline
STEPS reviews applications first-completed, first-served instead of by a fixed intake date. When demand outpaces available funding, MNBC places new applications on a waitlist and processes them as more funding opens up. Submit as early as possible in your planning cycle rather than waiting for a deadline that does not exist. A late submission in a high-demand period risks sitting on the waitlist through an entire term.
MNBC Contact Details
| Contact method | Details |
|---|---|
| Toll-free | 1-800-940-1150 |
| Phone | 604-557-5851 |
| Office | Suite 380, 13401 108 Ave, Surrey, BC |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm |
| [email protected] |
Combine STEPS With Provincial Aid
STEPS does not replace StudentAid BC . Since the STEPS annual cap sits well below full cost of attendance at most BC institutions, apply to both and report your STEPS award on your StudentAid BC application as part of your total funding picture.
Watching Your Lifetime Cap
The $50,000 lifetime cap covers your entire education under STEPS, not only your current program. If you already used STEPS funding for an earlier diploma or certificate, that amount counts against the same lifetime total when you apply for a second program, such as moving from a diploma into a degree. Ask the STEPS team for your running total before you plan a multi-year path that depends on this funding.
Why the Waitlist Matters for Your Planning
Because STEPS has no fixed intake date, the gap between when you apply and when you get an answer shifts depending on how many other applications are ahead of yours. Build your school payment plan around your own resources first and treat a STEPS award as money that arrives when it arrives, rather than counting on it to cover a tuition deadline that falls before your application clears the waitlist.