Montreal university waives tuition for Quebec Inuit, First Nations students
Starting this fall, those Indigenous students from communities in Quebec are eligible for waiver on tuition, mandatory fee
Manon Tremblay, senior director of the office of Indigenous directions at Concordia University, was involved in the launch of the university’s tuition-free program for First Nations and Inuit students. (Photo courtesy of Concordia University)
Starting this fall, Inuit and First Nations students at Concordia University whose communities are situated anywhere in Quebec no longer have to pay tuition.
While Concordia is not the first Canadian university to launch a tuition-free program for Indigenous students, it has chosen a more inclusive approach by widening the area the program applies to.
“At Concordia, our line of thinking was a little bit different,” said Manon Tremblay, senior director of the office of Indigenous directions at the Montreal university.
“To expand the tuition waiver to only Indigenous communities close to the university was not an option for us, as many of our students come from remote, fly-in communities far from urban centres,” she said.
All undergraduate, graduate and independent studies students in Quebec who are a member of one of the 10 First Nations in the province or are Inuit are eligible for Concordia’s tuition-free program.
Indigenous students enrolled in part-time studies, certificate programs and independent studies are also included.
According to the Concordia website, tuition for a full-time undergraduate student from Quebec over two terms costs $4,800. However, this varies based on the degree and residency of the student.
“We wanted this to be about equity,” said Tremblay.
She hopes to eventually extend the program to Inuit communities in Nunavut and all of Inuit Nunangat.
Approximately 130 students have received the tuition waiver so far, said Tremblay.
Inuit and First Nations students who not sponsored by their community or band will need to complete a form requiring them to upload their identification card, beneficiary card or non-insured health benefits “N number.”
As this is the program’s first year, there will be no deadline to apply.
With Concordia’s approach, tuition fees are waived for the duration of the credits of the program, rather than being limited to a fixed number of years.
“For First Nations and Inuit, life can get in the way as family responsibilities or reasons to return home require taking a few semesters off and not finishing a four-year degree in the prescribed time,” said Tremblay.
“We decided to extend the program for as long as it takes, so our students can address whatever life throws at them while they’re undertaking university studies.”
Studies for some degrees, such as Executive MBA, Master of Investment Management and programs at Concordia Continuing Education, have not been included in the tuition program.
“These are mostly costly, privatized programs that don’t often attract Indigenous peoples, but we hope that will change. And if it does, we will look to include them as well,” said Tremblay.
McGill University in Montreal also announced a free-tuition program earlier this year.
It’s mainly aimed at Indigenous students from nearby Mohawk communities, including the six Haudenosaunee nations of the Grand River in Ontario, although other Indigenous students, including Nunavik Inuit, can apply for free tuition within the university’s school of social work, school of continuing studies or the office of First Nations and Indigenous education.
An epidemic of entitlement sweeps the land, guised under an ethos of equity.
@ Fake Utopia
Be careful, your 20K a year mortgage you can’t afford is showing.
It will mean nothing and the uptake will be low.
The people who will truly benefit from this are the less than 1/4″ Inuit blood and/or those who have understood that education is the key to a prosperous life. The low income crowd or those kids who did not have any guidance to finish school will not be remotely interested in this. So in the end, this is entitlement only benefits a few though I guess it makes the university feels good about themselves in the name of reconciliation. Why not open this to any canadians who have done 12 years of schooling in Nunavik? A non-inuk born in Nunavik and went to school in Nunavik is less of a person than an Inuk born in Nunavik? Canada aim to be inclusive but this is divisive to the core. Education should be inclusive through and through.
Honest question at what point is someone no longer considered inuk? 1/4th? 1/8th? When you’re mostly white do you still qualify for inuit benefits?
Instead of improving post, secondary, the school board needs to improve elementary and high school standards first. 80% of graduates won’t even make it to post secondary. They make it that far. There’s another chance they won’t get in because Their high school grades aren’t up to par with Quebec and have been watered down so much the degree might as well be printed on toilet paper. Our school board needs a revamp. It’s just a pension farm for the missionary minded southerners. And I do agree this will be utilized mainly by the beneficiaries who were taught outside of KI school board.
@ Andrew & northerner
Andrew – Perhaps the KI will now be able to free up funds to help in the areas you suggest, now the burden they carry regarding University attendance will be less draining.
northerner – Please enlighten everyone on these mythical non-Inuit who have studied in Nunavik for 12 years.
Tuition has already been free for 50 years under JBNQA for Nunavik Inuit and Quebec Cree students.