March 30, 2020
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC), the First Nations Schools Association (FNSA), and the Indigenous Adult and Higher Learning Association (IAHLA) are making the following changes to our processes and policies in an effort to serve schools and communities as effectively as possible.
Travel Claims Accepted Electronically
Travel claims can now be submitted electronically by emailing your completed form including copies or photos of receipts to travelclaim@fnesc.ca. Please include the event name and event date in the email subject line. Program managers will contact you directly with the required form, including for events that have been cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Upon receipt, your claim will be forwarded to the appropriate staff for review. While the option of submitting your travel claim by postal mail is still available, we strongly encourage you to submit electronically as at this time we do not know when operations will return to normal and we will be able to process a hard copy travel claim.
If you are claiming as an individual, rather than as a school or community, please also put a hardcopy of your claim in the mail when you are able to do so. Note that we will not wait for receipt of the hard copy before reimbursing your expenses.
If you are claiming for reimbursement to your school, community, or organization, the electronic copy of your claim form and receipts is adequate. Once such travel claims and receipts are submitted by email we ask that you please do not send in hard copies. By submitting the scan or copy of the claim, you confirm that the original receipts are in the possession of your organization and can be provided if needed by FNESC.
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Available
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regular operations, our ability to issue cheques is limited and it may not be possible in the near future. In order to ensure that we can continue to reimburse travel claims, make program allocations, and pay invoices, we ask that you please set up Electronic Funds Transfer.
Instead of mailing a cheque, we will electronically transfer the payment to your bank account and notify you via email that the bank deposit has been made.
If you have not already set up EFT with us, we invite you to use the EFT application form. Note that a BCR or Board Resolution is only required for a First Nation, First Nation organization or Not-for-Profit organization, not for an individual setting up EFT. Please submit your completed EFT application by email to linoa@fnesc.ca.