StrongerBC future skills grant

The StrongerBC future skills grant is for British Columbians aged 19 years or older – regardless of financial need – and covers up to $3,500 in eligible short-term skills training at public post-secondary institutions.

FSG Fall 2025 seats full - waitlist available!

Student Eligibility

To be eligible for the future skills grant, you:

  • Must be a Canadian Citizen, a Permanent Resident, or a Protected Person entitled to study in Canada
  • Must be a B.C. resident currently living in British Columbia
  • Must be 19 years of age or older or have graduated from grade 12 or equivalent
  • Must provide consent for ECU to collect and disclose personal information that is relevant to accessing the StrongerBC future skills grant to the provincial government
  • Should not be receiving duplicative and/or overlapping funding to cover eligible costs (i.e. grants, loans, scholarships, or other funding that covers the same program costs as the StrongerBC future skills grant

You should also understand that:

  • The future skills grant benefits may have tax implications. Please consult the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) for tax advice
  • The grant is subject to a lifetime maximum of $3,500
  • If you are receiving any federal or provincial benefit, such as Employment Insurance (EI) or B.C. Employment Assistance (BCEA), you must seek approval from the appropriate government body before participating in a program
  • The amount of funding received is subject to review and audit

How to apply to use your future skills grant funding

  1. Review the eligibility criteria to see if you qualify for funding
  2. Choose from the list of eligible Fall 2025 micro-credentials
  3. Applications open June 30th!
    STEP 1: fill out the ECU course application at least 7 days before the course start date
    STEP 2: apply for the FSG grant online through the Future Skills Grant Management System (FSGMS) right away. If you don't have a BC Services Card Account account yet, set one up here.
  4. Allow up to 5 business days to receive your application approval and registration confirmation from ECU.

Eligible Micro-credentials

Fall 2025 FSG eligible micro-credentials are listed below.

Once your application is approved, a hold will be placed on your FSG funds. For courses with tuition under $3,500, you may choose to include material costs in your funding request at the time of application. If funds are limited, they will be applied to tuition first, and material costs may not be covered. If your FSG funds do not cover the full cost of tuition, you will be responsible for paying the difference within 2 business days of application approval.

Learn more about this micro-certificate

Tuition: $3200
Materials: $478

October 6 – December 6
Mondays & Wednesdays: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Saturdays: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Format: Online

Amount required to hold your seat:
Up to $3,200, or the remaining amount available in your FSG lifetime limit. Remaining balance paid out of pocket.

Optional materials hold (if opted in):
Up to $300 for eligible course materials, based on the course’s Materials Guide.

Learn more about this micro-certificate

Tuition: $3200
Materials: $478

October 7 - December 6
Tuesdays & Thursdays: 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Saturdays: 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Format: On campus

Amount required to hold your seat:
Up to $3,200, or the remaining amount available in your FSG lifetime limit. Remaining balance paid out of pocket.

Optional materials hold (if opted in):
Up to $300 for eligible course materials, based on the course’s Materials Guide.

Learn more about this micro-certificate

Tuition: $3500
Materials: $478

October 6 - December 6
Mondays & Tuesdays: 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Saturdays: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Format: Online

Amount required to hold your seat:
Up to $3,500, or the remaining amount available in your FSG lifetime limit. Remaining balance paid by the applicant.
View the course's Materials Guide. Note: Materials for this course are not eligible for reimbursement through FSG funds.

Learn more about this micro-certificate

Tuition: $3500
Materials: $478

October 20 - October 24 & November 17 - November 21
Monday - Friday: 9:30am - 4:30pm
Format: On campus

Amount required to hold your seat:
Up to $3,500, or the remaining amount available in your FSG lifetime limit. Remaining balance paid by the applicant.
View the course's Materials Guide. Note: Materials for this course are not eligible for reimbursement through FSG funds.

APPLY FOR WAITLIST

Policies + Course Materials

Important Application + Registration Policies
  • You must complete both the ECU course application and apply for your grant funds through the Future Skills Grant Management System (FSGMS) via the BC Services Card app at least 7 days before the course start date. Applications submitted after this time frame will not be processed. After completing both steps, please allow up to 5 business days to receive your application approval.
  • This grant cannot be applied retroactively. We are unable to issue refunds to individuals who have already registered for courses eligible for grant funding.

Tuition Fees
If the available funds in your FSG account do not cover the full cost of the course, any available funds will be applied to tuition fees first. You will be responsible for paying any remaining tuition balance within 2 business days of application approval. If payment is not received within this timeframe, your application will be cancelled and $150 administration fee will be deducted from your future skills grant.

Course Materials
For courses with tuition under $3,500, you may choose to include material costs in your FSG funding request at the time of application. If your FSG funds are limited, they will be applied to tuition first. If you opt out, you cannot request reimbursement later.

    Waitlist
    For courses that have already reached a maximum number of registered seats, you can choose to be placed on a waitlist. If a seat becomes available, CS staff will contact you with further information.

    Course withdrawals
    To withdraw from a course, please contact CS Registration no later than seven (7) calendar days before the course start date. A $150 administration fee will be deducted first from your FSG funds, and if necessary, from any tuition you paid directly. After the fee is applied any remaining FSG funds will be released back to your grant, and any remaining out-of-pocket payment will be refunded to you.

      Course cancellations
      In the event that a course is cancelled, CS staff will contact you with further information.

      All other Continuing Studies registration policies apply.

        Eligible courses have a Materials Guide that outlines the items required or recommended for full participation. If you opt in to include material costs in your FSG application, please note the following:

        • Only materials listed in the guide are eligible for reimbursement
        • Reimbursements come from your $3,500 lifetime FSG funding limit
        • A hold will be placed on your FSG account for both the tuition fee and up to $300 in eligible material costs, if you opt in.
        • Be sure to track your expenses per course and keep all original receipts.

        *Note: expenses that exceed the approved amount listed in the Material Guide will not be reimbursed. Expenses that exceed your $3500 lifetime limit will not be reimbursed.

        What to expect for the reimbursement process:

        • The reimbursement claims form will be available October 6, 2025 to October 21, 2025.
        • Reimbursement will be issued by electronic funds transfer (direct deposit) to a Canadian institution, or by cheque.
        • Please allow up to 4 weeks for processing and reimbursement.

        Start preparing for your reimbursement claim now:

        • Gather all receipts for materials you purchased and sort them by course. We can only reimburse you for items and amounts you have receipts for.
        • Review the course material guide to make sure all materials you are claiming are listed as required and/or recommended. Only materials listed in the guide are eligible for reimbursement
        • Use your ECU account to login to the claim form. View more information about your ECU email account.

        Receipt Requirements:

        • Make sure you are submitting an acceptable receipt. This means:
          • It clearly shows an itemized list of materials purchased after September 1, 2025.
          • It clearly shows the vendor name, date, subtotal, taxes, total and payment method. Payments made by debit or credit card should include debit/credit card receipts as well as itemized receipts.
          • If the receipt is in a foreign currency, include a copy of the credit card statement showing the currency exchange rate and the Canadian dollar amount charged.
          • Click to view examples of acceptable receipts.
        • If your receipt includes ineligible items, identify the eligible items on the receipt by circling them.
        • Tally the eligible items, including tax, and confirm the total does not exceed the maximum approved reimbursement amount for your course.
        • Take a photo or digitally scan paper receipts into jpg, png, or PDF formats.
        • If you have multiple receipts, you can upload multiple files per claim submission, but they must all be contained within a single folder or file.

        Supported by the Province of British Columbia