HCA Bursary Program (HCA Competency Assessment & Remedial Education Bursaries)

The timeline for the completion of application requirements will vary depending on the individual. It depends on various factors, including application criteria/process requirements, wait time to book the HCA competency assessment and complete additional education, if required. It could take as little as four months or up to one year. To streamline this process, the following is recommended: 

• Ensure your online application is complete 

• Return the Inspire consent form right away (after receiving the signed form, applicants are referred to a competency assessment within 15 business days) 

• Follow up with Inspire on next steps, returning the Non-Disclosure Agreement without delay 

• Pay and book your assessments at the next available time slots 

• Work with the HCA Consultant for financial support 

• After you receive your Performance Report issued by Inspire Global Assessments, you may wish to waive the reconsideration period (15 day) so that the Registry receives your report as soon as possible and can determine if further education is required to become registered 

• Enroll and complete any additional education as soon as possible to become registered, if required 

• Within 5-10 days of receiving completed education evidence, you will be registered 

Further information is also available on the Inspire website.

Those who have been educated as an HCA in Canada may review the application requirements for the Expedited Pathway for Graduates of an HCA Program in Canada (or equivalent) on the Registry website.

To qualify for this pathway, you must meet certain requirements, including proof of a Canadian HCA Program credential and recent HCA work experience, amongst other requirements.

As an Internationally Educated Health Care Professional (IEHCP), you will need to supply evidence of English language proficiency to prove you can listen, speak, read, and write in English. If your first language is not English, you will need to upload evidence of an official English Language Proficiency Test.

Additional information about IEHCP accepted language proficiency tests and test scores can be found here - English Language Proficiency Test Information Sheet.

After completing the competency assessment components, you can expect to receive the Performance Report issued by Inspire Global Assessments within 60 calendar days (or less). If you do not waive your reconsideration period after receiving your report, it will not be released to the Registry for 15 days. After receiving your Report, the Registry will determine if you: 

May be directly registered (no undemonstrated competencies); or 

If additional education is required (to address undemonstrated competencies) a Remedial Education Referral Letter will be issued to you. 

If you are referred to remedial education courses as a final step in the registration process, you may be eligible for the Remedial Education Bursary through the HCA Bursary Program (HCA Competency Assessment & Remedial Education). You can expect to receive communication from the HCA team to schedule a call with the HCA Consultant to discuss your eligibility for this bursary and receive support to navigate the course options. Once all requirements have been successfully completed, the Registry will process your registration and provide you with a number within 5-10 business days.

Candidates have six months to complete both parts of the competency assessments. The assessment components, the CBA and SLA must be completed within three months of each other. This is because the competency assessment evaluates competencies and knowledge at a specific point in time; the more time that elapses, the less valid the results. If you feel that you will take longer than one year to complete the competency assessment process, please contact Inspire.

Please review the information on the Inspire FAQ page about scheduling the SLA assessments. The SLA calendar is published on the Inspire website every 2-3 months.

A testing accommodation refers to a modification that is made to the assessment to support applicants with medical, physical, psychological, or learning conditions, or to observe a spiritual or religious observance.  You must apply for an assessment accommodation separately for the CBA and for the SLA. All accommodations must be pre-approved prior to your assessment date. Please contact Inspire directly to request an accommodation.

The days of interval between both CBA and SLA assessments will depend on scheduling and availability of assessment slots. It may be possible to schedule both assessments within a 2-day interval, though some candidates prefer more time between. The assessment components, the CBA and SLA must be completed within three months of each other.

For anyone needing to travel from outside the Lower Mainland to take the CBA and SLA in Vancouver, you can contact Inspire at info@inspireassessments.org  so that you can combine both assessments into one trip. The exact schedule will depend on the availability of assessment slots. It may be possible to schedule both assessments within a 2-day interval.

This information is found on the Inspire FAQ. Prometric is the testing company that runs the Computer-Based Assessment (CBA); they have testing centres all over the world. In British Columbia, the only testing centre is in Vancouver. Visit www.Prometric.com to find the testing site nearest you.

1. The only Prometric testing centre location in British Columbia is in Vancouver, but they do have other locations across Canada and globally. When you are scheduling your Computer-Based Assessment (CBA), you can choose a location nearest/most convenient for you.
2. Inspire only offers the Simulation-Lab Assessment (SLA) at Langara College in Vancouver or BCIT in Burnaby.

Once Inspire has processed your referral, you’ll receive an email asking you to register for an online Inspire account. Here you will need to submit a Confidentiality and Consent agreement. After you submit these documents, you can expect to receive an email inviting you to pay for your assessment within 15 business days. If you are still waiting for an email communication with next steps, you are encouraged to follow up with Inspire directly.

You can find a list of suggested resources to help you prepare for the CBA and SLA assessments on the How to Prepare page.

The HCA bursary is structured as a reimbursement. You must first pay the assessment fees for the CBA and SLA. After payment has been received by Inspire, you will be invited to schedule the assessments. Once you receive your scheduled date for the SLA, the next step is to schedule a consultation call with the HCA team to discuss your eligibility for the bursary. This call, outlines the HCA assessment components and completion timeframes to ensure eligibility to receive the bursary funds. After the call you will receive a link to complete the online application form. 

You can find a summary of the competency assessment fees on the Fees page on the Inspire website.

To be eligible for the HCA Competency Assessment Bursary, you must: 

• Have submitted an application to the Registry. 

• Have the intention of completing Remedial Education courses (if required) to become a registered HCA. 

• Have a scheduled date for the HCA Single Track Simulation-Lab Assessment (SLA) component. 

• Have submitted original receipts for the HCA Single Track CBA and SLA assessments. 

• Have completed a consultation call with the HCA team. 

• Have, with the support of the HCA team, completed the Important Timelines outlined in their application form within the established timeframes. 

• Submit a completed Competency Assessment Bursary Application Form with all supporting documents. 

• Have a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN). Applicants without a valid SIN may be eligible for bursary support but will not receive payment until they have a valid Canadian SIN. 

• Have or will receive the competency assessment outcome within three months of the application form submission date. 

To be eligible for the HCA Remedial Education Bursary, you must: 

• Have submitted an application to the Registry. 

• Have completed all components of the HCA Single Track competency assessment (i.e. CBA & SLA). 

• Following completion of the HCA Single Track competency assessment, the applicant was not immediately eligible for registration with the Registry and received a Remedial Education Referral Letter outlining the need for additional education. 

• Have completed a consultation call with the HCA team. 

• Have completed all of the remedial education requirements as mutually agreed upon with the HCA Team. 

• Submit a completed Remedial Education Bursary Application Form with all supporting documents. 

• Submitted original receipts for the remedial education courses.
  

• Send confirmation of obtaining Registry number by the Registry to info@choose2care.ca within the timeframe set out in the Bursary application Form. 

• Have a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN). Applicants without a valid SIN may be eligible for bursary support but will not receive payment until they have a valid Canadian SIN. 

The HCA Competency Assessment Bursary consists of a one-time payment of up to $2,100 to help cover the costs associated with the HCA Single Track Assessment. 

You may also be eligible for a Rural Travel Allowance to help off set the costs associated with travel and accommodation to complete the competency assessment. The allowance is a one-time payment ranging from $750 to $1,000 and is calculated based on the distance between your primary residence and the SLA site. 

The Remedial Education Bursary is a one-time payment to help cover the costs associated with any remedial education required for registration and as directed by the Registry. This bursary is a one-time payment ranging from $150 to $3,500, proportionate to the cost of the required courses. 

You may also be eligible for a Rural Travel Allowance if you are living in a rural and remote location and have been referred to a remedial course with a mandatory in-person component. This allowance is a one-time payment ranging from $750 to $1,000 and based on the distance between your primary residence and the nearest institution that offers this course. 

Note: The bursaries are offered based on available funds remaining as Health Match BC has limited funding available. Bursaries are issued to eligible applicants on a first come first served basis until the available funds run out. 

The HCA Bursary does not cover costs of study materials. The bursary includes financial assistance for the Computer-Based Assessment (CBA) and Simulation Lab Assessment (SLA) assessment fees.

At this time, the HCA Bursary is only to help cover costs associated with the HCA Competency Assessment registration pathway (i.e. competency assessments costs and remedial education costs if applicable). Please review other financial support options you may be eligible for, including student loans and scholarships on the Internationally Educated Health Care Professionals page or the Graduates of HCA Programs (in Canada, Outside BC) page.

Yes, you may still be eligible for the HCA Bursary.

You are eligible to receive the HCA Competency Assessment Bursary if you have received a decision from the BC Registry based on your Performance Report in the last three months. Similarly, you are eligible for the Remedial Education bursary if your Registry number has not been issued more than three months ago.

1. As outlined in the eligibility criteria, you are eligible to receive the bursary funds when you complete all components of the HCA competency assessments (i.e. CBA & SLA) and the BC Care Aide Registry has received a copy of your Performance Report issued by Inspire Global Assessments within the timeframe agreed upon in the application form.
   
2. Eligibility for the HCA Competency Assessment Bursary is not contingent on your performance on the competency assessments. Please note that the competency assessment is not a pass or fail. The Performance Report identifies any gaps in competencies to meet the entry-level expectations of Health Care Assistants in BC.

Yes, you still qualify for the HCA Bursary if you are currently or have previously received Employment Insurance (EI).

You do not need to be a Permanent Resident to qualify for the bursary. Having said this, you must have a valid Social Insurance Number (SIN), attached to a valid work permit (i.e. not expired) to be able to receive the bursary funds.

The bursary is structured as a reimbursement once all competency assessment components and/or remedial education courses have been successfully completed within the timeframes established.

Please review other financial support options you may be eligible for, including student loans and scholarships on the Internationally Educated Health Care Professionals page or the Graduates of HCA Programs (in Canada, Outside BC) page.

Eligible applicants can participate in both the HCA Bursary Program (HCA Competency Assessment & Remedial Education)  and the Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants – Health program at Douglas College. Both programs work together to ensure the best support is provided to applicants. However, the programs will not provide funding for the same expenses. For example, an applicant cannot receive the HCA Competency Assessment Bursary from the HCA team and be reimbursed for the competency assessment fees by the Career Pathways program. You are required to disclose any and all prospective sources of funding that will directly support education and registration pathways to becoming an HCA, including funding received from Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants.

You are eligible to participate in the HCA competency assessment workshop only if you are registered with the Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants program. You can visit douglascollege.ca/careerpaths to learn more about the program and apply.

You can find a list of suggested resources to help you prepare for the CBA and SLA assessments on the How to Prepare page. You may also wish to research Preparation courses offered by schools in BC.

For more information on these funding options, please visit the following websites:

1. BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) for more information about the funding available for the HCA Training Program.
2. Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants program: Health for more information about the funding available.

If you are looking to complete the HCA Full program as an alternative to the HCA competency assessment, you can browse the recognized programs near your location on the Education page of the Choose2Care website.

If you have been referred to remedial education as part of the competency assessment process, please refer to the recommended schools on the Remedial Education letter issued by the Registry. During the Remedial Education consultation call, we can support you in identifying the best options to complete the course(s).

It is a good idea to explore all of your options before making a decision on which registration pathway you will choose. 

HCA Full program: Please visit the Education page on the Choose2Care website to browse HCA programs recognized by the BC Care Aide Registry. Contact the school of your choice for more information about admission requirements, course schedules, tuition fees and more. Health Care Assistant training in BC varies from school to school, with the average duration of seven months. Most HCAs graduate, register and start working in less than one year. 

HCA competency assessment: Please visit the Inspire website for information about the process, assessments, and current timelines. 

The terms of the bursary do not specify the means of transportation and the types of accommodation covered. You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements and booking your own accommodation.

To be eligible, you must provide proof of primary residence by submitting one of the accepted documents. The bursary funds are distributed once you completed all requirements outlined in your Bursary Application Form.

If your primary residence is located less than 300km from the SLA site or the post-secondary institution offering the remedial course and you require taking a BC ferry to travel to these locations, you are eligible for the Rural Travel Allowance.