Bursary program

Vancouver Inclusive Volleyball Association (VIVA) Lloyd Cobankiat Memorial Bursary

The VIVA has initiated a bursary program to increase accessibility for participation in VIVA activities. In particular, this bursary program is designed to support the continued participation of current members experiencing financial difficulties or interested players who have not been able to join due to financial barriers. As part of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, priority will be given to applicants who self-identify as members of the Two-Spirit, Trans, Non-Binary, and/or BIPOC communities. This year, bursaries are available for the 2025-2026 VIVA indoor league. Two types of bursaries are available at this time:

$275 ‘Full-ride’ bursary. This bursary is targeted for individuals who otherwise would not be able to play due to financial barriers.
$150 ‘Subsidy’ bursary. This bursary is targeted for individuals experiencing financial difficulties who would greatly benefit from an offset to the full registration costs.

This bursary program relies heavily on an honour system. VIVA trusts its current and prospective members to exercise honesty and discretion in applying to this bursary program. Please only apply if you truly face financial barriers to playing in the league.

Application Timeline

Application opens May 12, 2025

Application closes May 24, 2025

Decision date: May 30 , 2025

Please note: If there are still open spaces in any of the divisions after the regular season Submission Date, and there are still bursaries available to be awarded, then the Committee may, at their discretion, accept applications from individuals wanting to register for those open spots.

Review Process and Selection

All applications will be kept confidential and will only be reviewed by the VIVA Bursary Committee (if possible, composed of the Treasurer, Secretary, DEI Director) to respect applicants’ privacy. Each application must include:

Statement of financial need (250 words maximum)
Statement of desire to play volleyball (100 words maximum)

Selection will be based on the apparent need of the applicants and in an effort to foster equity and inclusion, priority will be given to applicants who self-identify as members of the Two Spirit, Trans, Non-Binary, and BIPOC communities. Should there be more applicants than bursaries available, and all the applicants are determined to have equal need and self-identify as at least one of the preceding communities, then the Committee will select via a random draw of the qualified applicants. Applicants to the full-ride bursary who are not selected will be notified and entered for the subsidy bursary, if desired. Applications will be deleted after the bursary program has been administered.

How to Apply

Please complete and submit the following form (leave as a word document) to [email protected].

Please note that applicants to the bursary program still have to register for the VIVA league (including upfront payment) and will receive reimbursements afterwards. If this will be a barrier for you, please indicate this in your application email.

Player Information and Declarations

Last Name	First Name
Do you identify as a member of the Two-Spirit, Trans, Non-Binary, and/or BIPOC community?
E-mail Address	Telephone number
Have you ever played in the VIVA? If so, which was your last season?	Which bursary are you applying for? (Full-ride / subsidy)
I consent to the VIVA using wording from my statement (anonymized) about the importance of playing volleyball in this league for other purposes, such as social media posts, website testimonials, public statements, etc. (Please note that answering ‘no’ will not affect your chances of receiving a bursary). (Yes / No)

Personal Statements

Statement of financial need: Please detail, as you feel comfortable, why you qualify to receive a VIVA bursary (250 words maximum)

Why is playing volleyball in the VIVA important to you? (100 words maximum)