The right to education for aboriginal peoples comes from a series of treaties signed over the course of several decades and recognised in Canada’s Constitution. However, despite the clear economic and moral necessity to ensure access to education for Aboriginal peoples, funding for their education has remained stagnant for over a decade.
Currently, the federal government provides assistance to status First Nations and Inuit students through the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP), which funds status First Nations and Inuit students to attend post-secondary education. The program is designed to alleviate financial barriers by covering the costs of tuition fees, books, supplies, travel, and living expenses.
Prior to 1992, funding was allocated based on the number of eligible students and their estimated expenses. In 1992 the model shifted from per-student funding to block funding. In 1996, increases in funding were capped at two percent annually. As a result of this strict limit, funding has been unable to keep pace with the increasing number of Aboriginal learners, increasing living costs, inflation, and tuition fee increases that average roughly 4 percent per year.
Prior to the implementation of the funding cap approximately 27,000 Aboriginal students received financial assistance. By 2006, the number had fallen to just over 22,000. The lack of funding has forced communities administering the funds to make difficult decisions about who receives funding each year. It is estimated that between 2001 and 2006, over 10,500 students were denied funding, with roughly 3,000 more students denied each year. Due to the shortfall in funding, priority is often given to shorter college programs to the detriment of more expensive professional or post-graduate programs of study.
Non-Status First Nations and Métis Students
Non-status First Nations and Métis peoples are not included under federal legislation governing support for Aboriginal peoples. However, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada’s Post-Secondary Student Support Program is not accessible to these students, leaving many without the financial resources necessary to pursue post-secondary education. In June 2007, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development recommended that the federal government work with Aboriginal organisations to extend eligibility for AANDC’s Post-Secondary Student Support Program to non-status students.
The cost to government to fulfill its treaty responsibilities for Aboriginal education is minimal compared to the long-term implications of failing to do so. As long as the gap in education, employment and income remains, Canada stands to lose $400 billion in economic growth and spend an additional $116 billion on social programs and lost tax revenues over the next 20 years alone.
According to the Assembly of First Nations, a total of $545 million is required to ensure that no Aboriginal student is denied access to post-secondary education due to financial barriers and that those students that are funded receive an adequate level of support. AANDC currently provides $306 million, thus an additional $239 million would be required to reach an adequate level of funding. In addition, $208 million is needed to address the roughly 19,000 students that have previously been denied funding. In Québec, an injection of $24 million (in addition to $23 million to address the backlog) would be required to meet the needs of Aboriginal students in that province. In total, this funding would support 36,382 students across Canada, including roughly 4,000 in Québec.
The funding disbursed through the PSSSP has a proven track record for those who can access it. Most Aboriginal students who are able to access funding through the PSSSP succeed in completing their studies and find meaningful work. Regardless of their place of residence, the majority of Aboriginal graduates return to work in their communities and are employed in their field of study, achieving economic self-reliance and helping to develop healthy and stable communities.