Program Authority and Administration

The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) provides Post-Secondary Education (PSE) support to eligible Indian and Inuit students through the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) and the University College Entrance Preparation Program ( UCEP) to assist First Nation students with the cost of tuition fees, books and travel, and living allowances, when applicable.

Support is also provided to post-secondary institutions for the development and delivery of special programs for Indians through the Indian Studies Support Program (ISSP). For example, the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (SIFC) receives funding for the development and delivery of programs to First Nation students.

The PSE Program is funded as a matter of social policy by the Canadian government. The program has evolved over time as a result of government policy and is operated under the broad authorities provided through the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Act.

Students wishing to pursue post-secondary studies should contact their band office or the regional office of DIAND.

Eligibility

Inuit and Status Indian students residing on or off reserve and ordinarily resident in Canada are eligible for the PSE program. Support is subject to the selection criteria defined in the Band Council policy.

Objective

The objective of the PSE program is to support the increased participation and success of treaty/status Indians and Inuit students in recognized PSE programs, thereby improving participant employability.

Current Allocations

As of 2002-2003, regional core budgets of the program totalled $298 million.

Current Situation

Nationally, almost 100 percent of the combined PSSSP, the UCEP Program and the Indian Studies Support Program (ISSP) is delivered directly by First Nations or their administering organizations.

The number of students supported has increased from about 3,600 in 1977-1978 to approximately 27,500 in 1999-2000. Between 1981 and 1996, the proportion of Aboriginal people aged 20 to 29 with a post-secondary degree or diploma improved from 19 to 23 percent.

Key Initiatives

The third edition of the directory, Scholarships, Bursaries, and Awards for Aboriginal Students, was distributed to First Nation and Inuit communities in April, 2000. This resource identifies more than 300 sources of funding available to Aboriginal Canadians entering or returning to post-secondary studies. A regularly updated addendum to the online version has been developed to identify new sources of assistance.

A National Association of Indigenous Institutes of Higher Learning has been established. The vision of this association is that it will advance, advocate for and support post-secondary, technical, adult and related Indigenous education for the betterment of Indigenous institutions communities and people.