Professional Enhancement Bursary: HSPBA
Professional development funds under the 2025-2029 hspba collective agreement
Now that the 2025-2029 HSPBA collective agreement has been ratified, HSA members like you will soon have access to new professional development funds.
As you likely know from the comprehensive report and ratification meetings, there are new professional development funds included in this collective agreement:
- April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026: $400,000 Professional Development Fund NOW OPEN
- April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027: $400,000 Professional Development Fund
- April 1, 2027 to March 31, 2028: $600,000 Professional Development Fund
- April 1, 2028 to March 31, 2029: $600,000 Professional Development Fund
- TBD $3,500,000 one-time funding allocation for Professional Development
Your union is busily preparing to launch these new funds once the monies have been transferred to us from the employer side and disbursed proportionately amongst the constituent unions of the HSPBA.
We will notify members via email and our website when each fund is ready to launch – so please make sure you are signed up for email and/or keeping a close eye on our website as these funds will be disbursed on a first come, first served basis and are usually highly popular.
Of note, HSABC offers additional bursaries and scholarships which can be found here.
2025-2026 $400k HSPBA Professional Development Fund
We are now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 $400k HSPBA Professional Development Fund. This initiative supports HSA members covered by the Health Science Professionals (HSPBA) collective agreement who are pursuing professional development activities.
Funding is available for eligible expenses incurred between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. This fund was negotiated as part of the 2025-2029 HSBPA collective agreement and allocates $400,000 for the 2025-2026 term to support HSPBA members in enhancing their skills and knowledge.
Funding Details:
- Eligible Expenses: Tuition, fees, books, and travel expenses related to courses, programs, or conferences, up to a maximum of $1,000 per member. Travel and accommodations expenses are limited to Canada or the US, with a maximum reimbursement of $250.
- Application Process: Applications are accepted for courses, conferences, or workshops started between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026. They will be processed in the order received until funds are exhausted.
- Program Requirements: Education or training must be directly relevant to professional development within a health science discipline practices within the public health care system and should not be intended for personal development purposes.
Member Responsibility for Application Completeness:
- Provide Personal Email address for application. Please ensure that your contact information is up to date before you apply by using the member contact update form on the HSA website or by reaching out by email to info [at] hsabc.org.
- Provide a detailed program breakdown in the space provided. This must include course specifics (number, name, start/finish date, cost, etc.) for each course.
- Perform exchange rate calculations and list all amounts in Canadian funds. Note that the amount entered (up to cap) will be the total amount approved.
Incomplete applications will cause significant delays in processing.
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We are asking members to please read the information available on this web page, the FAQ, and the Eligibility Guidelinesbefore emailing with questions.
If you have a question that is not answered, please reach out by email to 2025 HSPPDFund [at] hsabc.org.
HSA is responsible for distributing these funds to HSA members under the HSPBA. If you are a member of a different bargaining unit (i.e. BCGEU, CUPE, PEA or HEU), please contact your union directly for funding opportunities.
PAST PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDS - No longer accepting applications
The following funds for HSA members covered by the Health Science Professionals Collective Agreement (HSPBA) are:
$400k HSP Fund: This fund, negotiated as part of the 2022-2025 Collective Agreement was first announced in June 2022 and provided by the BC Ministry of Health, provides $400,000 annually to support members in enhancing their skills and knowledge.
- 2024-2025 $400k HSP PD Fund
@email - 2023-2024 $400k HSP PD Fund
@email - 2022/2023 $400k HSP PD Fund
@email
BC Government Partnership Fund: This fund, developed in partnership with the government of British Columbia, Health Sciences Association of BC secured $3 million in new funding to support professional development for members covered by the HSPBA, facing shortages, in rural and remote areas, as well as for ongoing required professional development.
For questions about applications made for funding in previous years, please contact that fund's email address directly.
Past Eligibility Guidelines and FAQ's
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Professional Enhancement Bursary
Bursary Overview
In recognition of the need to help HSA's health science professional members maintain and upgrade specialized training amid ongoing shortage and workload issues, the BC Ministry of Health has provided $4 million in funding for this bursary over the coming year. - What can this funding be used for?
- The training needs to be related to your professional development: the funding is to be allocated to training and upgrading skills for HSPBA members working in professions experiencing shortages, or in rural and remote locations, as well as ongoing required professional development. The fund is designed to help reimburse HSA members for outlays for their professional education, and not for personal development.
- The training needs to start in the bursary window: you can apply to the fund for education or training that began, or will begin, between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025.
- The fund is designed to help HSA members get reimbursed for outlays in their education.
- The education or training must pertain to professional development in a Health Science Professional discipline being practiced in the public health care system, not for personal development.
- Eligible expenses for reimbursement include tuition fees, registration fees, cost of required books or materials, and other reasonable education-related expenses. Costs of travel and accommodation (within Canada or the US only) are eligible if the applicant must travel or temporarily relocate to attend education or training for related clinical placement.
- Maximum funding per member is $7,500 of which $1,500 is allowable for travel and accommodation.
- These funds are not intended for personal development purposes. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted. Please note that "pooling" funds among groups of multiple members at individual sites will not be eligible for reimbursement.
Eligibility Guidelines
Frequently Asked Questions
Article 17 Process - 2022/2023
Eligibility Guidelines
Frequently Asked Questions