StellerVista expands student awards to West Boundary for first time

StellerVista Credit Union awarded more than $25,000 through its StellerStudent program in 2026, including $10,000 shared among students from West Boundary, Castlegar and the Slocan Valley.

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Students from West Boundary received StellerVista Credit Union's StellerStudent awards for the first time this year as the program expanded into the West Kootenay and Boundary region.

StellerVista announced Sept. 1 that it provided more than $25,000 in awards to students pursuing post-secondary education and training in 2026.

Of that total, $10,000 went to students from Castlegar, the Slocan Valley and West Boundary, marking the first year the program has been offered in those western areas.

The Sept. 1 announcement does not say how many West Boundary students received awards or how much of the $10,000 went specifically to the area.

The StellerStudent program was formally launched in the East Kootenay in 2023 and has since supported students in Cranbrook, Fernie, Sparwood and Elkford.

StellerVista says the program is not based on academic merit alone. The credit union considers how applicants plan to use the money, the relevance of their career path and their ties to the community.

Funding is available to students in years one through four of undergraduate programs, trade schools, technical colleges and other accredited post-secondary programs.

Applicants must be StellerVista members.

In announcing this year's awards, StellerVista marketing and community engagement director Jeff Fero cited pre-med studies, HVAC certification and pilot training as examples of the education and training paths the program is intended to support.

StellerVista operates its West Boundary branch in Greenwood.

Applications are currently closed. The credit union says the next StellerStudent application period will open in April 2027.

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