The Canadian government is investing $12 million over the next four years into a new bursary program that supports English-speaking secondary school graduates who choose to pursue post-secondary education in French. (iStock/izikMd)

New bursary program launched for anglophone students studying in French

The federal government has announced it will invest $12 million into a new bursary program that supports English-speaking secondary school graduates who choose to pursue post-secondary education in French.

Over the next four years, 3,400 bursaries, worth $3,000 each, will be offered to eligible students, with special consideration given to students facing financial challenges and those who come from under-represented groups.

“Pursuing a post-secondary education in their second official language is a big step for students whose first official language is English, but want to pursue their education in French,” Minister of Official Languages Mélanie Joly said in a statement.

“The Government of Canada is committed to helping them succeed, because they are laying the foundation for strong and sustainable bilingualism that benefits everyone.”

The initiative, which is managed by the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne (ACUFC), targets all post-secondary institutions in Canada that offer programs, support and an environment in French that allows students to use and improve their French language skills.

In order to be eligible for a bursary, a student must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, have English as their first spoken language and have completed their secondary school studies and graduated from an English language institution.

Students must be 17 years old and be enrolled in the first year of a post-secondary study program in French.

Students must also intend to pursue full time studies in a college or undergraduate university program in Canada and 50 per cent of their courses in French.

Minister of Economic Development Melanie Joly rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)

“With these bursaries, students whose first official language is English will be able to pursue their post-secondary education in French and improve their language skills. This learning opportunity will also allow them to discover and experience the rich Francophone culture,” Lynn Brouillette, the president and chief executive officer of ACUFC, said.

“The ACUFC is pleased to work with the federal government on this unprecedented initiative, which makes a concrete contribution to a bilingual Canada,” Brouillette added.

Last month, Joly presented the Canadian government’s intentions to modernize the Official Languages Act with a document that proposed changes and new measures to create linguistic balance across the country.

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