Note 2: Aboriginal Access

This post is part of a week-long series.

When discussing access, we are, as Millennium puts it, discussing:

The improvement of access so that Canadians from all backgrounds can acquire the knowledge and skills needed to participate in a changing economy and society.

With the growing population of Aboriginal youth, and with the concurrent growing aspirations and optimism, there is certainly a need to provide greater access -- but the climb is a steep one.

Educational aspirations of Aboriginal people are now in nearly the same range as the general population: 70% of those between the ages of 16 and 24 hope to achieve some level of higher education, while 80% of parents hope their children will do so. Just as positive is the indication that most think they can achieve the level of education they want: 72% of the youth, and 70% of the parents.

However, the reality is far below the aspirations. In the case of status Indians, only 20% of those under the age of 24 have pursued some form of post-secondary education, and finances are a clear barrier:

Among First Nations youth not planning to go on to college or university, financial barriers are most frequently cited as holding them back: 59% say they have to work to support their family while 40% say they do not have enough money.

This leads to an interesting point here at the U of A. The university is working hard to make Aboriginals feel more welcome, which was noted as the third biggest obstacle. Commendable, sure, but one must ask what is being done about the looming financial barrier. Raising tuition and housing fees -- especially in today's economic turmoil -- does not seem to be the move of a university looking to increase its accessibility.

The full study can be found on Millennium's website.