A significant donation from a Vancouver Island philanthropist will help students enrolling in trades, technology and health programs at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU).
The Pieter de Reuver Foundation’s gift will provide $240,000 in scholarships and bursaries to students over the next three years.
"We are just so grateful at KPU to welcome one of Vancouver Island’s most generous philanthropists to our family to help students," says Randall Heidt, CEO of the KPU Foundation. "I have had the privilege to work with Pieter for a number of years to help hundreds of students and I am thrilled that he now wants to help students from all over B.C. He’s just a great person, who loves to help students reach their life goals."
The funds will annually support 24 $2,500 Pieter de Reuver Foundation bursaries and eight $2,500 Pieter de Reuver Foundation scholarships.
"I'm very happy to extend the reach of our foundation to the mainland with KPU and help more students achieve their goals," says de Reuver, president of the Pieter de Reuver Foundation. "Good education is very important to me."
The 32 new annual awards are available to students, with preference given to students who:
- are from Vancouver Island, specifically, the Parksville, Qualicum and Oceanside communities (inclusive of Lantzville, Bowser and Deep Bay) and other communities within the Qualicum School District No. 69;
- self-identify as having Indigenous ancestry;
- have been in foster care or in care of the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development;
- are designated as a Person with Disabilities (PWD);
- is a student with a previously demonstrated academic achievement of B+ or higher.
Registration information for all KPU programs is available in the student registration guide. Information about applying for the Pieter de Reuver Foundation bursaries and scholarships will be available online.