REGINA, SK - October 15, 2015 /CNW/ - The University of Regina has received $150,000 from Scotiabank to establish theScotiabank Aboriginal Entrance Award.

The award, available to first-year, undergraduate Aboriginal students, will start in the Fall of 2016. Students in good academic standing with demonstrated community involvement are eligible to apply.

"Scotiabank is a long-time supporter of the University of Regina," said University of Regina President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Vianne Timmons. "I would like to thank Scotiabank for its ongoing support and generosity; for helping us to create opportunities for our students, in particular, our Aboriginal students."

The University's student enrolment numbers released this fall indicate that nearly 12 per cent of the total student population has self-declared Aboriginal descent; an increase of 63 per cent over the last five years.

"Scotiabank is proud to partner with the University of Regina to invest in these talented young students with the Scotiabank Aboriginal Entrance Award," said Karen Birss, District Vice-President, Saskatchewan South District at Scotiabank. "We believe in investing in young people to ensure they have the tools and skills needed to succeed in both their academic lives and beyond. Everyone at Scotiabank looks forward to hearing about the future successes and contributions of the award winners."

The University is providing increased support for its students through the expansion of the Aboriginal Student Centre.

The University has also established an Indigenous Advisory Circle; base-funded an Executive Lead on Indigenization; and designated scholarships for those who choose to self-declare Aboriginal descent. For more information about scholarship for Aboriginal students, visit: https://urconnected.uregina.ca/aboriginal/aboriginal-safa.ezc.

About Scotiabank

Through their global philanthropic program, Scotiabank and its employees support causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for their charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has contributed on average $55 million annually over the last five years to community causes around the world.

Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and parts of Asia. They are dedicated to helping their 21 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 87,000 employees and assets of $863 billion (as at July 31, 2015), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). Scotiabank distributes the Bank's media releases using CNW. For more information, visit www.scotiabank.com and follow them on Twitter @ScotiabankNews.