Free tuition creates opportunity at Providence

Providence University College is opening the door to a post secondary education for students raised in Manitoba’s Child and Family Services care through a new program that waives tuition and gives personal support.

In an act of initiative that will benefit kids in care, it was a student who first told Providence financial aid administrator Holley Ammerman about the Futures Forward program. The first recipient will be chosen next week.

“It’s an opportunity that they otherwise wouldn’t have,” said Ammerman from the Otterburne campus.

“And maybe one thing that’s important for Providence to have this is because we aren’t a public university, there are limitations in what we can offer financially as opposed to a publicly funded university.

“So to have this kind of program I think it just kind of opens up our ability to have students come here who otherwise couldn’t because going to a school that is not public is typically more expensive. And to go to a religious school which has extra things going on typically is more expensive.”

She said it gives an option to kids in care who would not be able to go to their school of choice.

“There’s only a handful of religious universities in Manitoba,” said Ammerman, who graduated from Providence herself.

The cap put on the number of international students allowed into Canada by the federal government has affected private universities the most, with the Manitoba government prioritizing spaces for public schools.

That meant international students from poorer countries who would have received help from Providence to come to Manitoba and attend school have lost that opportunity, according to Ammerman.

“I guess I’m just thankful to be able to to continue to offer help in financial need where having the last three (international) students selected not be able to come here was definitely a bit disheartening,” she said.

The student who is chosen will get free tuition for the duration of their program at Providence. The Futures Forward program will also connect them with counselling in mental health, finance, planning their education, and finding a job.

Futures Forward is a provincially funded program for kids in care looking to make the transition to adulthood. It is a collaboration between Youth Employment Services Manitoba, Community Financial Counselling Services, and the Canadian Mental Health Association of Manitoba and Winnipeg.

It also receives funding from the Winnipeg Foundation, the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, and United Way Winnipeg.

Ammerman said financial need will be the main thing the committee that hands out scholarships will look at. They also have three businees scholarships, one full year of tuition president’s scholarship, and 10 $500 high school bursaries to hand out.

For Ammerman, there is a personal satisfaction that feels like she is coming full circle from her childhood.

“My family, we fostered kids growing up,” said Ammerman.

“It felt almost like a closure a little bit. A group of these kids, they leave and I have no idea where any of them are now — nor do I have the right to — but now I get to put the work into offering this. I think I was personally motivated that way, of being able to give back to these kids that I haven’t seen in decades but still in a small part of my heart love.”

There is also a motivation for the university beyond the main goal of helping students in need, she added.

“We’re really trying to solidify our identity as a school in Manitoba as an accredited university. We really want to grow on that idea. And so to add our name to this list of schools that are involved in this kind of program was also really important to me to show that we are dedicated,” said Ammerman.

While Providence is chartered by the province to offer university degrees and they can be used to gain entry into graduate and education studies at other universities, it is advocating to be recognized as a full university under Section 9.1 of the Advanced Education Administration Act campaigns to be officially accredited as a university by the province.

Future kids in care who want to join the Futures Forward program with Providence after the first recipient graduates could be funded through an upcoming fundraising campaign, according to Ammerman.

Details of that campaign will be announced when the school celebrates its 100th anniversary this September.