Pacific Leaders Scholarships for Public Servants Program

The Pacific Leaders Scholarships for Public Servants Program supports employee professional development in alignment with the current and future needs of the BC Public Service.

This scholarship program is for B.C. government employees aiming to attain a diploma, certificate or degree, not for those taking one or two courses.

Ministries may use their discretion to fund one or two developmental courses that don't lead to a certificate, diploma or degree. 

On this page

• Program overview
• How it works
• Who can apply
• When to apply (intake deadlines)
• How to apply
• What to expect after you apply
• Ministry contacts
• Contact information

Program overview

This scholarship helps talented and motivated BC Public Servants advance their career goals by pursuing a formal program of study in areas related to the government's priorities.

Per 12-month scholarship year, recipients may be reimbursed:

• Up to a maximum of $5,000 for:
  • Certificate programs
  • Diploma programs
  • Undergraduate degree programs
• Up to a maximum of $7,500 for:
  • Master's degree programs
  • PhD degree programs
  • CPA Professional Education Program (CPA-PEP)

Programs of study must :

• Consist of measured components (such as graded exams, tests, assignments, etc.)
• Result in a final grade that's reflected on an academic transcript

Eligible for scholarship funding:

• Tuition
• Books

Not eligible for scholarship funding:

• Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
• Prerequisite courses
• CPA Prerequisite Education Program (CPA-PREP)
• Fees

The Pacific Leaders Scholarships for Public Servants Program supports developmental training leading to a certificate, diploma or degree.

To learn more about job related, mandatory and developmental training for BC Public Service employees:

• Refer to HR policy 02 – Learning and development (PDF, 102KB)
• Speak to your supervisor
• Contact AskMyHR by submitting a service request using the categories Myself (or) My Team or Organization Career Development > Pacific Leaders Program

How it works

• Applications for certificate, diploma or degree programs at designated institutions are accepted for approval three times a year
• If you receive scholarship funding, you commit to a 'return of service.' For every 12-month period of scholarship funding, you agree to continue working in the BC Public Service for an additional specified time period in return. Review Return of service for more details
• Each scholarship runs for one 12-month period. Further funding requires an application form.
• If approved, pay for your tuition and books and then submit detailed receipts to your ministry for reimbursement up to the allowable maximum
• Funding is provided by your ministry/organization. Depending on the financial structure of your organization, the funding could come from your branch, division, or ministry budget. If you or your supervisor have questions about funding, contact your organization’s Human Resources branch

Who can apply

You're eligible to apply if you:

• Have passed your initial 6-month probationary period
• Have been assessed by your supervisor to be at minimum, achieving expectations in your current role 
• Are a regular full- or part-time employee with a BC Public Service employer. Eligible employers include all ministries and provincial organizations that are enabled under the Public Service Act

Review Eligibility for more details.

When to apply (intake deadlines)

Applications are processed three times per year according to three intake deadlines. Only one scholarship can be approved every 365 days. Overlapping scholarships are not permitted.

The scholarship year start and end dates are based on intakes, as shown below. 

The first day of your scholarship year is the earliest date that your courses can begin.

Your courses are not reimbursed if they start either before or after your scholarship year.

January 31

For studies taking place between April 1 of this year and March 31 of next year, apply by January 31 of this year.

Example: January 31, 2018 is the intake for studies between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019.

May 31

For studies taking place between September 1 of this year and August 31 of next year, apply by May 31 of this year.

Example: May 31, 2018 is the intake for studies between September 1, 2018 and August 31, 2019.

September 30

For studies taking place between January 1 and December 31 of next year, apply by September 30 of this year.

Example: September 30, 2018 is the intake for studies between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019.

How to apply

Before you apply, be sure to review all program information on these pages.

This is important information:

• Have a conversation with your supervisor about your educational goals and include them in your current Performance Development platform (or your organization's current equivalent) 
• Contact your ministry or organization's Strategic Human Resources (SHR) branch, or equivalent, to check whether your organization has any policies or procedures that you need to be aware of when preparing your application
• Note that regardless of your ministry/organization's internal processes in support of a scholarship application:
  • This is a corporate program and applications are not approved until the Pacific Leaders Scholarship Program adjudication process is undertaken. Scholarship approval is not provided at the ministry level
  • The applicant is responsible to ensure that the application reaches the Pacific Leaders Scholarships administration office by the application deadlines shown on this site
• Follow the instructions on the application form below to complete your application package in full
• Incomplete applications cannot be processed
• Review Application process and renewal for additional information

A complete application package must include the following:

• A fully completed and signed application form.
  • You must use the form for the current intake, as indicated in Section 3 on page 2 of the form.
  • The appropriate form for each intake is made available approximately two months prior to the intake deadline.
  • If it's less than two months from an intake deadline and you're seeing an older version of the form, please clear your cache and try again.
  • If you're still unable to see the current version of the form, email Pacific Leaders Scholarships for Public Servants
• A dated letter written and signed by you, that outlines how your education plans support your career goals and contribute to BC Public Service priorities
• One letter of support written and signed by your supervisor within three months of your application submission, recommending you for the Pacific Leaders Scholarships for Public Servants Program
• Your supervisor's signature on the application form, which confirms you are at minimum, achieving expectations in your current role and signals your ministry's support for the application
• A copy of your course transcripts for renewal applications

Do not include additional documentation not listed in the Final Checklist for Applicants section of the form; additional documents will not be saved or included in the submission.

How to submit

Email a legible copy of the completed application package as a single, scanned PDF document to Pacific Leaders Scholarships for Public Servants and keep the original copy of your application package for your records.

If you do not have access to a scanner, please email Pacific Leaders Scholarships for Public Servants for alternate submission instructions.

Employees are responsible for ensuring applications are submitted to the Pacific Leaders Scholarships program's mailbox by the intake deadline.

What to expect after you apply

If approved, you'll receive an approval email approximately six weeks after the application deadline.

It will include:

• The details of your scholarship
• Your return of service obligation
• The name of a contact in your organization who can outline your reimbursement process
• A formal letter of approval, signed by the deputy minister of the BC Public Service Agency, on behalf of the Deputy Ministers' Committee on Public Service Innovation

Keep your approval email and letter; it will be required by your ministry when submitting requests for reimbursements.

If necessary, email the Pacific Leaders Scholarships for Public Servants program to request a copy of your approved application and/or approval email and letter.

Ministry contacts

Please email your specific Ministry contact as listed below for scholarship reimbursement