The George Coles Bursary in PEI: Eligibility and How to Apply

What the George Coles Bursary Is

The George Coles Bursary is a non-repayable award for full-time Prince Edward Island students. It is automatic rather than applied for. Your institution identifies you as eligible and refers you to PEI Student Financial Services , which confirms your eligibility and credits the funds directly to your school account.

Who Qualifies

You need PEI residency, Canadian citizenship, permanent residency or refugee status, and a valid Social Insurance Number on file with your institution. You must be enrolled full-time for 24 continuous weeks in your first diploma, certificate or degree. You cannot already be receiving a Skills PEI or Labour Market Development Agreement tuition subsidy for the same period.

How the Bursary Reaches You

You do not submit an application or income information for this bursary. Your institution checks its registration records each fall for students who have their SIN on file and are enrolled full-time in their first credential for 24 continuous weeks. It sends that list of eligible students to PEI Student Financial Services around November for eligibility confirmation. Once confirmed, the funds are credited directly to your school account, typically in January for University of Prince Edward Island and Maritime Christian College students and in February for Holland College and Collège de l'Île students.

There is no separate George Coles Bursary form to fill out and no notice of assessment tied to this award specifically. If you meet the eligibility criteria and stay registered full-time, your institution handles the referral for you.

What Determines Your Amount

The award is a fixed amount tied to your year of study rather than an assessed financial need calculation. Confirm the current figure directly with your institution's financial aid office, since the amount can change between academic years.

Renewing Your Bursary

You do not submit a new application each year. Your eligibility depends on remaining registered full-time in an eligible program at a PEI institution, keeping your SIN on file, and continuing to meet the citizenship and residency criteria. As long as you meet those conditions each year, your institution includes you in the list it sends to PEI Student Financial Services.

If You Have Not Received Your Funds

Contact your institution's financial aid office if you meet the eligibility criteria but have not seen the bursary credited to your school account by the expected date. A missing SIN on file, an enrollment status that has not reached the 24 continuous week threshold, or a data mismatch between your registration record and PEI Student Financial Services are common reasons a referral stalls.