The Department of Education announced Sept. 3 that Inuit students enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement will receive a new Nunavut Inuit Study Grant benefit through the Financial Assistance for Nunavut Students, or FANS, program. The announcement lists a transitional allowance, holiday travel, school supply and living-situation support, furniture, mandatory exam fees, tutoring, recreation or activity support, health and wellness support, and a transitional support person. Source↗

The change could reduce some costs that are not always covered by tuition, books and regular living allowances for Inuit students studying after high school. It is especially relevant to students who must travel away from home for school or need help settling into a new location.

The Department says the benefit will be introduced this autumn and that further FANS improvements, including non-financial student support, are planned. As of Sept. 15, the public announcement does not give benefit amounts, application steps, an effective date, or say whether current FANS recipients will be reassessed automatically. Students should contact FANS directly for their eligibility and timing.

Existing FANS eligibility information says applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, have lived in Nunavut continuously for one year before acceptance into an approved program, and attend a designated post-secondary program. FANS applications are due at least eight weeks before the program end date. The existing public FANS page still describes the 2025–26 benefit structure and does not yet set out the new study-grant rates or procedures. Source↗