Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) has received provincial funding for another school year to support a tuition-free course for eligible internationally educated nurses.
The $180,421 from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education will allow KPU to offer three sections of the course, Introduction to Professional Communication for Internationally Educated Nurses (IPCIEN). The next tuition-free course runs from May 8 to Aug. 5 at KPU’s Newton campus (12666 72 Ave.).
The course is a great option for students who want to grow their career, stated Aimee Begalka, dean of KPU’s Faculty of Academic and Career Preparation, in a release May 12.
“The course is very practical and hands-on, with opportunities to work with standardized patients and receive coaching from both a language instructor and a nursing instructor,” Begalka says. “Past students have felt overwhelmingly positive about the class and the ways in which it helped them move to the next step in their career.”
KPU stated online that eligible students must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents (five years or less), or convention refugees living in B.C., and have an occupational certification as a registered nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN) from their source country. They must also meet the IELTS 6 or CLBPT 6.5, Duolingo 95 or equivalent language requirement, and commit to the 13-week program.
The funding is part of a nearly $4-million investment from the B.C. government’s Adult Basic Education and English Language Learning Pathways program between April 1, 2025, and Aug. 31, 2026. Eleven public post-secondary institutions received funding this year. The program is intended to help students obtain the prerequisites to access specific programs, including health care, early childhood education, skilled trades, and technology.
Since 2017, the Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English Language Learning (ELL) programs have been offered tuition-free to domestic students in B.C. This year marks the fourth time the province has provided one-time funding for the programs.
This is the third year KPU has received funding for this. Last year, it received $183,911 from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education for the 2024/2025 school year.
Each post-secondary tailors the funds to the region and is customized to the needs either Indigenous students, students who are new to Canada or students in rural areas.
“Our government recognizes the importance of helping people upgrade their language skills and advance in careers in high-priority sectors,” Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Anne Kang said. “Investing in this program at KPU is one of the important ways we are making it easier for internationally-trained nurses to practice in B.C., so that people can access the care they need.”
