Indigenous Applicants

If you are an Indigenous applicant and meet the minimum entrance requirements for a competitive program, but have not met the program’s competitive entrance requirements, you will be considered for direct admission according to the date your application was completed.

For degree, diploma, and certificate programs without an interview, NAIT reserves a limited number of seats for Indigenous applicants each term to support our commitment to improving access to post-secondary education. Be sure to apply early for admission! About 6 months before term starts, any unfilled seats are released to the remaining applicant pool.

To accept your offer of admission:

1. Log in to your MyNAIT portal
2. Select Open Self Service
3. Choose the Admissions tile
4. Select your application, under your Admissions Status, you’ll see the accept and decline button
5. Select Accept
6. Confirm your choice to accept

If you don’t select the accept button before the deadline in your offer e-letter, your application will be cancelled, and your seat could be offered to another eager applicant.

Once you accept your offer, your tuition deposit will be waived and your program seat will be reserved.

Indigenous people are storytellers. Traditionally, knowledge is shared through oral histories. Sharing your personal story allows you to share your unique experiences and provide insight into who you are and your aspirations as a NAIT student. The personal story is only applicable to competitive programs with a program interview component.

Personal story process

If you’re an Indigenous applicant to a program with a program interview, you’ll be invited via email from the program to share your personal story with a small NAIT committee, which includes an Indigenous community member from NAIT.

The personal story:

• Can be provided as a written or oral video submission.
• May be a great option if you have lived experience as an Indigenous person, such as experience with Indigenous culture, traditions or language, or you have spent time living or participating in your Indigenous community.
• Is your opportunity to answer a series of questions that provide insight into the things that are important to you, any challenges you have overcome, and what you have learned through your experiences. Be true to yourself and provide specific examples.

The committee will read or watch your story and then invite you to join them for a conversation so they can learn more about you and your experiences.

You are considered an Indigenous applicant if you are a First Nations (Status or Non-Status), Métis or Inuk person of Canada.

To qualify for a personal story, you must:

1. Self-declare as an Indigenous applicant when completing your application
2. Meet the definition of an Indigenous applicant above
3. Submit documentation to verify your Indigenous identity (see below)
4. Meet the minimum entrance requirements for your program

All eligible Indigenous applicants applying to programs that require an interview will be considered for a personal story.

After submitting your application to NAIT, you must submit documentation to verify your Indigenous identity. Failing to submit this documentation in your MyNAIT portal by the posted deadline may result in needing to complete a standard program interview (instead of a personal story submission).

NAIT accepts the following documents to verify your Indigenous status:

For programs with a fall start, personal story and committee conversation invitations typically are offered two times a year – in December and May.

The personal story conversations for winter intakes may take place in September and April. The timing of your invitations will be based on when your completed application was submitted. 

You can submit your personal story as either a written or video format. We'll email you instructions on how to complete it.

Take time to reflect on the following questions, as you'll need to answer all of them in your submission. We encourage you to be true to yourself and use specific examples to highlight your experiences.

Personal story questions

Resiliency

1. Reflect on a time where you faced a difficult situation. Please provide details about the situation and what made it difficult. Finally, share how  you overcame the situation and what you learned. Please provide specific examples.
2. NAIT’s healthcare programs are often intense and demanding, so resiliency and well-being will play an important role in your NAIT journey. If challenges arise, what tips and strategies do you typically use to overcome them?
3. NAIT offers a variety of services available to students, including academic support, community groups, and health and well-being resources. If you ever need support during your time at NAIT, which service would you use and why?

Community engagement and caretaking

1. Healthcare workers play a critical role in taking care of their community. Tell us how you’ve taken on responsibilities or activities that have benefited those around you. This could be an example of how you have contributed to your community in a meaningful way.
2. To effectively take care of others, healthcare workers must also take care of themselves. Tell us about the activities or practices you participate in that support your well-being and foster a positive mindset.

Motivation

1. Why did you choose to pursue a career in healthcare?
2. Share a story that showcases your suitability for a career in healthcare. This could be a story of how you solved a problem in a professional manner, or how you overcame a challenge,  demonstrated bravery, etc.