FNESC and IAHLA have been informed that Canada’s universities have created a new online tool to provide Aboriginal students with better access to information on programs and services on campuses across Canada. It is a searchable database of resources designed to meet the needs of Aboriginal students and is posted online here: http://www.universitystudy.ca/aboriginal-students/.
Prospective students and their families can use the tool to find information on the 286 different academic programs designed for Aboriginal students and other helpful resources available at Canadian universities, such as financial assistance, housing, cultural activities, counselling, availability of Elders, gathering spaces and mentoring.
This new online resource is part of universities’ ongoing efforts to improve access to university for Aboriginal students and help them achieve success in higher education. The web-based directory is an enhanced update of a print version that AUCC produced in 2006 and 2010. It will be regularly updated to reflect new and enhanced services for Aboriginal students at Canada’s universities. The database complements information in the Directory of Canadian Universities, published every year by AUCC.
Aboriginal education is an ongoing priority for Canada’s universities. AUCC’s 2013 pre-budget submission to the federal government calls for increased postsecondary scholarships for Aboriginal students, with funding to be matched by the private sector. AUCC has also undertaken significant steps in recent years to help universities identify, develop and share ideas on best practices for services aimed at Aboriginal youth.
AUCC is the national voice of Canada’s universities, representing 95 Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities. See http://www.universitystudy.ca/aboriginal-programs-and-services-directory/ for more information.
