Evaluation of the Post-Secondary Education Program

1. Overall Management Response

2. Action Plan Matrix

2.1 Post-Secondary Student Success Program (PSSSP) and the University and College Entrance Preparation Program (UCEPP)

The PSSSP provides financial assistance to First Nation students and eligible Inuit students enrolled in eligible post-secondary programs. UCEPP provides financial assistance to First Nation students and eligible Inuit students enrolled in university or college entrance programs to help them gain the academic level required to enter a degree or diploma program.

The objective of the PSSSP is to improve the employability of First Nation students and eligible Inuit students by providing them with funding to access education and skills development opportunities at the post-secondary level. This is with a view to increasing post-secondary enrollment and graduation rates among First Nation and Inuit students. The objective of the UCEPP is to provide financial support to eligible First Nation students and Inuit students who are enrolled in university and college entrance preparation programs offered in Canadian post-secondary institutions, to enable them to attain the academic level required for entrance into degree and diploma credit programs. This is with a view to increasing the number of First Nation students and Inuit students with the requisite academic level for entrance into post-secondary programs.

Funding is made available to band councils of recognized First Nation bands (who may also administer the program for eligible Inuit students); their designated organisations; and self-governing First Nations in Yukon that have not yet assumed responsibility for Post-Secondary Education through a Programs and Services Transfer Agreement or through the terms of their self-government agreement. These funding recipients can make funds available to eligible students who are enrolled in eligible institutions and for eligible programs. 

The Band Council or designate may set their own priority process within the National Guidelines. The funds can cover, but are not limited to, tuition fees; examination fees; books and supplies; living allowances for full-time students commensurate up to the level allowed by the Canada Student Loans Program; and other costs, up to a maximum of $50,000 per student per year (during the evaluation period), within the recipient's budget envelope for Post-Secondary Student Support.

The outcome, as outlined in the former INAC 2016-17 Report on Plans and Priorities and the 2017-18 Departmental Plan, is that First Nation and Inuit students who receive funding through the PSSSP progress in their program of study. This is measured by the percentage of PSSSP-funded students who completed their academic year and were funded the next academic year and the percentage of those students who continue in the program beyond the first year of their program of study. This outcome was revised from the 2015-16 Report on Plans and Priorities, which was that First Nation and Inuit post-secondary students progress in their programs of study. In 2014-15, it also included an outcome that First Nations and Inuit students participate in post-secondary education.

2.2 Post-Secondary Partnerships Program (PSPP)

At the time of this evaluation, the PSPP provided funding to eligible Canadian post-secondary institutions to design and deliver university- and college-level courses tailored for First Nation students and eligible Inuit students. These courses are intended to help students gain the skills they need to enter and succeed in the labour market.

It is a proposal-based program that supports projects that deliver a program of study or develop new courses and programs tailored for First Nation and Inuit students. In calls for proposals, priority is given to proposals that:

• focus on the labour market, with specific outcomes and objectives;
• lead to high-demand jobs in the Canadian economy or within First Nation or Inuit communities (such as governance);
• respond to the educational needs of First Nation and Inuit students;
• use innovative and efficient delivery methods to increase the availability of education in remote communities;
• have a plan towards financial self-sustainability;
• contain short-duration, undergraduate-level courses; and
• include funding partners with a firm commitment to monetary participation.

2.3 Indspire

Indspire is an Indigenous-led charity, where ISC provides funds to offer scholarships and bursaries to Indigenous students to pursue post-secondary education. Indspire also honours the achievements of Indigenous peoples; holds career fairs targeted at Indigenous youth from grades to 10 to 12; and develops, produces and disseminates curricula and other materials designed to inspire First Nation and Inuit high school students to consider career options in industries forecasted to have skilled labour shortages. Eligible costs for funding can include salaries; professional development; professional services; honoraria; facility rental; hospitality; scholarships and bursaries; awards; printing and publishing costs; materials; and, administration. Indspire will be funded by Employment and Social Development Canada in 2020-21.

2.4 Other Programs Related to Post-Secondary (not covered in this evaluation)

The First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy (being evaluated separately by Employment and Social Development Canada) provides youth with employment opportunities where they can gain work experience and develop important skills such as communication, problem-solving and teamwork. Summer work placements are intended to enable First Nation and Inuit students to learn about career options and to earn income that may contribute to university or college education.

The First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program is one of two programs that ISC administers under the First Nations and Inuit Youth Employment Strategy. The objective is to promote the benefits of education as key to youth participation in the labour market; to support the development and enhancement of young people's essential employability skills, such as communication, problem solving and working with others; to introduce youth to a variety of career options; to help youth acquire skills by providing wage subsidies for mentored work experience; and to support mentored school-based work and study opportunities (co-operative education and internship).

The key activities of First Nations and Inuit Skills Link Program are: wage subsidies for work placements and mentorship for youth who are not in school to enable them to develop employability skills and support their educational and career development; activities designed to help First Nation and Inuit youth entrepreneurs gain skills towards self-employment; training experiences that support youth to acquire the necessary skills for work placements; career development information, including awareness and support activities like career fairs and leadership projects; career planning and counselling activities; and activities that promote science and technology as an educational and/or career choice, including science camps, computer clubs, and activities that connect science and technology to traditional Indigenous knowledge.

The First Nations and Inuit Summer Work Experience Program provides youth with opportunities for summer employment so that they can gain work experience and develop or enhance essential employability skills, including critical skills needed in the workplace such as communication, problem solving and teamwork. In addition, these summer work placements allow youth to learn about career options and to earn income that may contribute to university or college education.

3.1 Success of students supported through PSSSP

Data available (only complete to 2015-16 as of this writing) on post-secondary students supported by PSSSP does not allow for a longitudinal analysis of progression through studies. However, it does indicate whether a student does or does not successfully complete an academic year, and if they graduate. A graduation rate^{Footnote 6}, however, is not possible because there is no indication of eligibility to graduate in any given semester (thus no denominator). Since 2012-13, the annual rate of success (completing the semester in satisfactory academic standing or graduating) for post-secondary students funded through PSSSP has been steady at approximately 84 percent of PSSSP-supported students in a given year. There is a small but notable gender difference with the success rate of women at approximately 85 percent, compared to approximately 82 percent for men (generally consistent between 2012-13 and 2015-16). The gender difference was generally consistent between regions (see Figure 1).

*Note that standalone bars were not included for the Territories (Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories) as they represent a very small proportion of overall students (0.3% of students in 2015-2016). National averages do include the Territories.

Text alternative for Figure 1: Proportion of Women and Men by Region who were successful (progressed in satisfactory standing or graduated) in 2015-16*

Figure 1 is a bar chart illustrating the proportion of female and male students enrolled in the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP), by region and nationally, who were successful in 2015-2016. In this case, the term 'successful’ is defined as students who "progressed in satisfactory standing or who graduated". Also highlighted is the national average of PSSSP students who were successful in 2015-2016 which was 84.8%.

For students in the Manitoba region, 81.4% of women were successful, and 78.9% of men were successful.

For students in the Ontario region, 84.6% of women were successful, and 77.2% of men were successful.

For students in the Saskatchewan region, 85% of women were successful, and 83.4% of men were successful.

For students in the British Columbia region, 86.6% of women were successful, and 82.9% of men were successful.

For students in the Alberta region, 88.5% of women were successful, and 84.7% of men were successful.

For students in the Quebec region, 89.9% of women were successful, and 86.6% of men were successful.

For students in the Atlantic region, 94.2% of women were successful, and 91.5% of men were successful.

For students nationally, 86.1% of women were successful, and 81.7% of men were successful.

In general terms, it is not possible to attribute academic successes for these students to any specific support program. Notably, employment rates did not improve over this time frame, and actually decreased somewhat for Indigenous women and for First Nations overall.^{Footnote 7}

The number of students funded through PSSSP has remained relatively steady over this same time period (varying between approximately 23,000 and 24,500 per year), indicating an ongoing demand for this program. Importantly, there is a considerable gender difference in enrollment, with only approximately one third of enrollees being men (this has been somewhat stable at approximately 30 percent every year). According to national data on elementary/secondary completion, First Nation women graduate high school on average at a rate of 10 percent higher than First Nation men. As these post-secondary data show, this gender difference inflates significantly when examining First Nation learners funded through PSSSP. As shown in Figure 2, looking at 2015-16 figures, there was only a slight regional variation in this gender difference.

*Note that standalone bars were not included for the Territories (Yukon, Nunavut and Northwest Territories) as they represent a very small proportion of overall students (0.3% of students in 2015-2016). National averages do include the Territories.

Text alternative for Figure 2: Proportion of PSSSP enrollees in 2015-16 by gender and by region*

Figure 2 is a stacked column graph illustrating the proportion of Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) students by gender, by region and nationally in 2015-2016. Highlighted is the national average of PSSSP students who are men, which was 31.4%.

In the Alberta region the proportion of PSSSP students was 72.8% for women and 27.2% for men.

In the Saskatchewan region the proportion of PSSSP students was 73.2% for women and 26.8% for men.

In the Manitoba region the proportion of PSSSP students was 68.5% for women and 31.5% for men.

In the British Columbia region the proportion of PSSSP students was 67.8% for women and 32.2% for men.

In the Quebec region the proportion of PSSSP students was 67% for women and 33% for men.

In the Ontario region the proportion of PSSSP students was 66.4% for women and 33.6% for men.

In the Atlantic region the proportion of PSSSP students was 65.5% for women and 34.5% for men.

Nationally, the proportion of PSSSP students was 68.6% for women and 31.4% for men.

Indigenous partners confirmed that there is a high demand for funding amongst community members. They also suggested that academic success is not the only desired outcome for post-secondary students from their communities. The wellbeing of their students is a main focus, with an emphasis on emotional, mental and spiritual health as well as a sense of cultural belonging and identity. Indigenous students have identified general goals in other studies, which strengthen ties to their cultural identity, their ability to find their personal gifts or strengths, and emphasizing reciprocity over competitiveness with other students.^{Footnote 8} Some interviewees felt that the way outcomes are articulated overemphasized the importance of academic success as an indicator of overall success, as opposed to wellbeing. 

The departmental desired outcome for the PSSSP for the last year of the period of study for this evaluation (2017-18) was that First Nation and Inuit post-secondary students who receive funding progress in their program of study. This was measured by assessing the number of students completing an academic year and being funded the following year, and by the number of students in their first year who progress to their second year. Key limitations of these measures were that 1) there was no way to measure the reasons a student is not funded the following year (whether they did not apply or were not successful in an application), and 2) data collected on PSSSP students did not include information on year of study, so there was no means to gather metrics on progression from first to second year. For the first measure, the proportion of students successfully completing an academic year (but not yet graduating) who are funded the following year was approximately 70 percent. The figure is 25 percent for students who were not successful in a given academic year.

Without knowing how many of those students attempted to procure funding for PSSSP the following year, however, it is difficult to cast this as a measure of access or success. Additionally, policies of First Nation administrators themselves may not allow for funding in multiple years, or may prioritise first-year learners, for example. The key metric missing is demand relative to funding support.

Importantly, the ISC Departmental Plan for 2019-20 has revised the departmental desired outcome to "Indigenous students receive an inclusive and quality education," measured by the number of funded First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation students who graduate with a post-secondary degree/diploma/certificate (as of 2019-20, funding is available for Métis Nation post-secondary students for the first time). The approach to collecting this information had not yet been developed as of the writing of this report.

3.2 Success of Students Supported through UCEPP

The objective of UCEPP is to enable students to attain the academic level required for entrance into degree and diploma credit programs. According to data in the ERAS, the majority of students that were enrolled in UCEPP did not return the following year. Only a fifth progressed to a degree or diploma program.

First Nation participants in site visits also echoed the notion that the demand is high for UCEPP funding, but the success rates were low, prompting many First Nation education administrators to deprioritize UCEPP applicants in favour of more PSSSP applicants. Although First Nations may not be prioritizing UCEPP, post-secondary institutions with upgrading programs recognize the need for such support and frequently target First Nations in their recruitment efforts.

UCEPP's low success rate calls into question whether the program is adequately targeting needs^{Footnote 9}. Since it is funding students' access to existing entrance programs offered by post-secondary institutions, there are questions as to whether these programs, which are not normally tailored to the circumstances experienced by First Nation and Inuit learners, are meaningfully facilitating a transition.

A sentiment expressed by post-secondary institution administrators, and education administrators on reserve, is that where students may be on the cusp of achieving academic prerequisites, when coupled with the many reasons the students may need the extra support, the result is a tenuous hold on progress through the academic year.

In general, it was expressed by evaluation participants that Indigenous students do better when they see themselves in the academic institution they attend. Specifically, there is an expressed need for supports that are more tailored to their circumstances and needs. For students looking to upgrade, the need for support is often greater, and the financial support for the tuition for upgrading in and of itself is not sufficient in many cases to promote progression and attachment to academic programs.

A significant amount of the commentary on the challenges facing First Nation students in transitioning to post-secondary focused on the general academic unpreparedness of students, culture shock, fear of living away from home and the degree to which family issues at home could cause the student to end their academic semester early to return home. Students requiring upgrading were seen by participants as being more sensitive to these circumstances, and needing further support. Indigenous students and post-secondary institution staff interviewed suggested that this is further exacerbated by post-secondary teachers' and fellow students' low expectations of Indigenous students, often stemming from racism and lack of awareness. Academic literature refers to these low expectations as the expectation of primitiveness, the assumption that Indigenous students will be academically behind their peers.^{Footnote 10}

Partnerships between First Nations and post-secondary institutions are key to better ensuring that First Nation students are supported beyond tuition for upgrading. Given the low success rate of students needing upgrading via UCEPP, there is clearly a need to invest more strategically beyond tuition for upgrading programs. More work with post-secondary institutions that may engage Indigenous partner organisations in developing programs designed to support the transition and retention of Indigenous students in post-secondary is needed.

3.3 Program Access

First Nation communities have autonomy to set priorities and make decisions about how eligible students receive funding for post-secondary education through PSSSP. Band councils or Inuit communities have variable approaches to prioritizing funding but often cannot fund all prospective students. According to case-study participants, those that do fund all eligible students make up the funding gap through other revenue sources, with federal post-secondary programs covering as little as 50 percent of total post-secondary supports in some cases.

This creates inequity amongst community members, and between communities. Some are able to fund all prospective students, while others can only fund a portion. Both Indigenous partners and post-secondary institutions indicated that funding per student is inadequate, and does not cover the costs associated with being a post-secondary student including housing, child care and school supplies.

While total funding for band council support and Inuit communities for post-secondary education can be examined, it is not informative, as there is no indication of amounts awarded to students, and no indication of how much of the awarded bursaries are from ISC versus other resources. Where this question was examined with First Nation education administrators, in all cases funds were procured from multiple sources, even to the point where it was not clear to administrators the extent to which PSSSP was providing support. An analysis of efficiency in this regard would require detailed analysis of band council financials, which would not be appropriate.

Thus PSSSP and UCEPP are better thought of as bursaries that are available based on how much revenue a band council and Inuit community can direct to post-secondary supports relative to the demand, rather than universally accessible for eligible individuals. Despite the fact that these are programs designed to enable access, ISC does not measure the extent to which this is achieved, as it does not measure demand or prospective uptake.

As shown in Figure 2, the number of students supported by ISC has increased by nearly 25 percent between 2010-11 and 2015-16. The increase seen in 2012-13 coincided with an increase in investments of about 8 percent, which has been relatively stable since.

Notably, the proportion of students 19 and younger has steadily increased over time, suggesting a growing number of students entering post-secondary straight out of, or soon after, completing high school (Figure 3). The proportion of these students who are enrolled in UCEPP has remained steady over time at between approximately 5 and 6.5 percent, increasing from about 1,200 students in 2010-11 to, 1,600 in 2015-16.

Text alternative for Figure 3. Number of students supported by ISC over time and by age category

Figure 3 is a stacked bar chart illustrating the number of students supported by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), by year, and proportionally between students under the age of 19, and those over the age of 19.

During the period of 2010-2011, when 19,091 students were supported by ISC, 14,168 (74%) were under the age of 19, and 4,923 (26%) were over the age of 19.

During the period of 2011-2012, when 19,191 students were supported by ISC, 14,069 (73%) were under the age of 19, and 5,122 (27%) were over the age of 19.

During the period of 2012-2013, when 22,807 students were supported by ISC, 16,453 (72%) were under the age of 19, and 6,354 (28%) were over the age of 19.

During the period of 2013-2014, when 24,043 students were supported by ISC, 17,060 (71%) were under the age of 19, and 6,983 (29%) were over the age of 19.

During the period of 2014-2015, when 24,456 students were supported by ISC, 16,990 (69%) were under the age of 19, and 7,466 (31%) were over the age of 19.

During the period of 2015-2016, when 24,146 students were supported by ISC, 16,160 (67%) were under the age of 19, and 7,986 (33%) were over the age of 19.

Outside of these programs, there are no federal options for students unable to obtain adequate supports that are unique to First Nation or Inuit students. The delivery model for PSSSP and UCEPP was not identified by Indigenous partners as problematic per se, but the issue is an inability to fund all prospective students. If the department's goal is to enable access to post-secondary education for all prospective Indigenous post-secondary students, the current delivery model will not achieve that goal.

ISC's role as a funding agent is appropriate in the context of this program, but it lacks a clear policy position on the extent to which it is responsible for better promoting access to post-secondary for First Nation and Inuit students. While there would not be a desire among First Nation administrators to relinquish control of their funding directives for post-secondary education, there is room for the Government of Canada to give ISC or Education and Social Development Canada the mandate and funding to ensure that students who are unable to obtain adequate support from band-based funding for PSE have other options that are equitable to their peers receiving full financial supports. This could be in the form of a bursary for First Nation and Inuit students via the Canada Student Loans program, or other options within ISC.

3.4 Impacts of the Post-Secondary Partnerships Program (PSPP)

PSPP provides funding to develop Indigenous studies and courses in post-secondary institutions.

The main outputs attributable to the PSPP were the development of academic courses and programs. While ISC provides approximately $7 million per year in core funding to the First Nations University of Canada, additional proposal-based funds were disbursed to post-secondary institutions for courses and programs at several universities to support Indigenous learners: there were 87 selected projects with a total value of $15 million in 2014-15; 73 with a total value of $15 million in 2015-16; and a notable increase to 116 projects with a total value of $23 million in 2016-17.

Some of the centers offering support to Indigenous students beyond the development of academic programs do secure funding through the PSPP, but many noted that they experienced difficulties developing successful proposals, including not being provided with explanations for why their proposals are not accepted. This contrasts with the input from ISC regional offices, which indicated that they assist those submitting proposals and communicate back to those who have proposals rejected.

Further, although it is not the intent of the program to fund student support centres, many post-secondary institutions do have some form of Indigenous student support center that is responsible for recruiting prospective students and assisting Indigenous students throughout their post-secondary education. They assist prospective students with applications for academic programs, housing services, educational supports and access to other services on campus. As Indigenous students enter their studies, these offices offer them opportunities to connect with one another through culturally relevant events and activities. They act as a foundation for building a sense of community amongst Indigenous students.^{Footnote 11}

Staff from these support centers shared a number of stories about the support they have provided to Indigenous students, and how their support was identified by students as a driving factor behind their success. Staff members go above and beyond to ensure the wellbeing of their students. Examples have included driving students to medical appointments and helping students try to come up with funds to travel home in the event of a family emergency. Literature suggests that these centers have difficulty providing all of the services they would like to, as a result of a lack of fiscal commitment from the institution they operate within and a lack of commitment to Indigenous support programs within the institution.^{Footnote 12} Interviews conducted with staff from Indigenous support centers echo these sentiments.

There were key examples of successful retention and progression being attributed to the support available at the post-secondary institution, including the availability of culturally-relevant resource centres, elders, and direct non-academic services. That said, many interviewees expressed that while there should be services targeted to Indigenous students, there is a need to integrate these with general student supports to promote cohesion and inclusion.

The main variable determining whether such support centres or services exist, according to interviewees, is the extent to which providing them is seen as a priority by the post-secondary faculties. Such services are well-established where post-secondary institutions prioritize recruitment and retention of Indigenous students, and thus there is variability from little to no tangible efforts towards Indigenous cultural awareness, to mandatory Indigenous studies courses at the University of Winnipeg and Indigenous law degrees such as that offered by the University of Victoria.

According to interviewees, there does not exist a strong federal support stream where universities can access funding for First Nation and Inuit student support beyond tuition grants and academic programs. Where student retention is difficult, it often stems from struggles with transition and adaptation to a new environment, coupled with poor public understanding of First Nation and Inuit histories and barriers. Incentivizing institutions to provide more supportive programs that assist with transition and support, particularly resources such as elders and facilities that can host culturally relevant activities and offer support, is expected to have significant impacts on wellbeing and retention.

Support for the development of academic Indigenous programs is essential to the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives and histories in post-secondary institutions. There is, however, a need to also incentivize post-secondary institutions to provide more non-academic support customized to Indigenous students. Interviews in this evaluation were clear that while support for Indigenous programs is positive, it needs to extend well beyond academic programs and into the core of the administrative support system in general.

3.5 Impacts of the Indspire Program

The majority of Indigenous education administrators and Indigenous partners within post-secondary institutions indicated that Indspire is a highly recommended source of funding for prospective students. Students demonstrating a financial need can apply for funding through Indspire, and this is therefore an important resource for prospective students unable to obtain sufficient funding from PSSSP or other resources. Like most scholarship and bursary programs, Indspire requires applicants to demonstrate community engagement such as volunteerism, a targeted career plan and good academic performance. Therefore, the requirements to obtain funding are far more stringent than PSSSP, which normally requires a demonstration of membership to the student's band and need (although not always need). Therefore Indspire is not designed to act as a simple supplement for those unable to procure sufficient funds, as it is a scholarship uniquely for high-achieving students.

First Nation and post-secondary institution participants in this study lauded Indspire for being a source for the recognition of high-achievement recognition via awards and bursaries and scholarships. Two of the main caveats noted were that 1) the amounts of awards are not meant to cover actual costs, and thus successful students may still face significant shortfalls, and 2) priorities of band administrators in particular tend to centre on students who are not high achievers as they are more in need of supports. There was also commentary on the complexity of scholarship application processes, which may be unfamiliar to, or difficult for, students who have never had to demonstrate achievements and eligibility before, but may otherwise be eligible.

Some students expressed concerns about the degree of focus placed on oil and gas professions as being in conflict with some students' ethical considerations, and other issues of individual competition and recognition as being at odds with some traditions of humility, cooperation and modesty. Additionally, most Indspire materials are provided only in English and Francophone applicants generally cannot seek services in their first official language.

Importantly, however, Indspire has partnered with universities – for example, with McGill on its Indigenous bursaries and awards efforts to better promote the enrolment and retention of Indigenous students. Further, the success of Indspire is demonstrated by its expanding reach, with over 3,764 bursaries totaling $11.6 million in 2016-17, up significantly from 2,220 bursaries totalling $6.2 million in 2011-2012.This is also in addition to mentoring, peer support and conferences, as well as the annual awards ceremonies celebrating high achievements.

According to Indspire, 96 per cent of Indigenous students who receive funding graduate with post-secondary degrees or diplomas, and 53 per cent go on to pursue post-graduate degrees.

3.6 Adult Learners Completing Secondary

ISC lacks a policy focus on adults over 21 looking to complete secondary, and consequently, support is highly variable between communities. Where students over the age of 21 are supported to complete high school or equivalencies, it is done via work-arounds of ISC policy, and is most often paid for by provincial government programs, First Nations' own resources where they are available or the student's own financing options.

While there are students included in the Nominal Roll^{Footnote 13} over 21, the number of students over 21 pursuing the completion of secondary studies is greatly understated by this database, as they are not included as a matter of policy. That being said, between 2010-11 and 2015-16, typically 16 percent of grade 12 students on the Nominal Roll were over 21. Nearly 7 percent of students enrolled in grade 9 and 10, and 11 percent of students enrolled in grade 11, are 3 or more years older than their grade cohort norms (and thus on track to be over 21 if they reach grade 12, see Figure 4).

Importantly, the average age of enrolment for grade 12 was 20.3 years old between 2010-11 and 2015-16. Critically, these figures do not include students over 21 who pursue completion of secondary studies through other means than the First Nation education system. The figures also do not include cases where students pursue a grade 12 equivalency, and they cannot reveal situations where the First Nation provides support for the students outside the policy scope by using resources other than PSSSP – in these cases the students may attend school but may not be recorded on the Nominal Roll.

Text alternative for Figure 4: Proportion of secondary students 3 or more years older than the cohort norm

Figure 4 is a bar chart illustrating the percentage of students by grade who are 3 or more years older than the age norm for that grade cohort on the Nominal Roll. The Nominal Roll refers to the registry of students funded under the elementary and secondary education program via Indigenous Services Canada.

6.6% of students in grade 9 were 3 or more years older than the cohort norm.

6.9% of students in grade 10 were 3 or more years older than the cohort norm.

10.8% of students in grade 11 were 3 or more years older than the cohort norm.

16.3% of students in grade 12 were 3 or more years older than the cohort norm.

Participants were asked whether the maximum age of enrolment for secondary studies should be raised (or whether there should be an age limit) as a matter of policy, and it was generally felt that older students would not wish to pursue secondary studies with a much younger cohort, and that they should instead be supported as adult learners with unique needs under post-secondary program options, or under a separate program entirely.

But where a First Nation wishes to offer adult education under its post-secondary programming, completion of secondary studies is not covered under the PSSSP or UCEPP, and, if it was, support would be limited by the resources and priorities of individual communities, and not as a matter of entitlement in the same way as access to secondary education for students 21 and under. The completion of secondary studies as a pseudo-post-secondary program would also require access to institutions outside the First Nation or beyond classic provincial secondary schools system, and would be more akin to a cross between UCEPP and PSSSP support.

It is difficult to estimate the extent to which this policy gap results in older students not completing secondary school. Given the average age of grade 12 enrollees, however, and the high frequency of grade 12 students aged 21 and older in the Nominal Roll despite their exclusion in policy, it is safe to assume the number is significant.

The First Nations Regional Early Childhood, Education, and Employment Survey found that while 28 percent of those who did not complete high school are employed, nearly half (49.2 percent) of those who completed high school and nearly two thirds (61.2 percent) of those who completed post-secondary education are employed.

First Nation participants in the 2017 evaluation of Income Assistance On-Reserve observed that many young adults apply for Income Assistance as a default when they turn 18. This in turn normalizes Income Assistance reliance, where the option of not applying for Income Assistance would put a youth at a clear disadvantage compared to their peers. Critically, the Income Assistance dependency rate, while showing gradual declines in recent years, was still over 20 percent for 18-24 year olds on reserve in 2017. First Nation participants in this evaluation indicated that, where students have not completed, or are not supported in completing, their secondary studies as adults, they will almost invariably apply for Income Assistance. In the context of the total budget for Income Assistance On-Reserve having increased from $823 million in 2010-11 to $924 million in 2016-17, and budgets after 2018 surpassing $1 billion annually, as stated in that evaluation, education of the young adult population is key to addressing this issue.

While departmental data on Income Assistance does not lend itself to estimating the relative share of expenditures attributable to the 18-24 population, or the relative share of those not having completed secondary studies, it is probable that the costs associated with providing wide or even universal access for adult learners to complete secondary studies on reserve would decrease Income Assistance reliance and significantly boost enrolment in post-secondary and/or participation in the labour force.

4. Conclusions and Recommendations

While ISC programs are supporting post-secondary learners in accessing tuition and others supports, and supporting the Indigenous programs in institutions and recognition of Indigenous achievements, an ambitious strategy is needed to address gaps in post-secondary education and labour-market inclusion. Most critically, as PSSSP is a post-secondary access program, demand needs to be measured, and ISC should strategize how to meet this demand. This, combined with fully supporting adult learners in completing their secondary studies, is expected to significantly open up opportunities for more Indigenous individuals to post-secondary, and the labour market, where they are significantly underrepresented.

Additionally, significant support is needed to better position post-secondary institutions and other organisations in their work on the successful transition and retention of Indigenous learners. Efforts are needed to expand the reach of the PSPP beyond academic programs and into the social and institutional environment of post-secondary institutions in general.

Therefore, it is recommended that ISC:

1. Work with First Nation and Inuit partners, and consult with Employment and Social Development Canada and other departments or ministries and academic institutions, to develop a strategy to provide more equitable access to post-secondary funding supports for all prospective First Nation and Inuit students;
2. Work with First Nation partners to develop a clear policy for adult learners to complete secondary studies and boost eligibility for post-secondary and labour-market entry;
3. Work with First Nation and Inuit partners to develop a strategy to support students who wish to pursue post-secondary studies – whether they are transitioning into post-secondary and need to complete secondary or upgrade, or whether they are attending post-secondary and need support to stay in school – beyond tuition through enhanced, culturally appropriate wrap-around supports;
4. Work with First Nation and Inuit partners to develop a measurement strategy to assess demand for post-secondary funding supports, the needs of eligible learners, and the impact of federal funding in addressing the needs of eligible learners (i.e. differentiated from other funding sources at the band level); and,
5. Broaden the PSPP to include more non-academic and transitional supports, and improve communications with prospective funding recipients to ensure clarity and transparency in funding decisions.