demand for assistance 1s
greater than forecast as has
been done in the past. Accord-
ingly, a priority list consisting
of five student categories has
been drawn up, with Indian
and Inuit students who were
enrolled in post-secondary
studies in 1986/87 and con-
tinuing in 1987/88 heading the
list. If funds run out early,
eligible students in the lower
categories, such as students
beginning postgraduate
studies or professional degree
studies (category 4) will be left
out.

The capping of funds for
the PSEAP will have very seri-
ous effects on Indian post-
secondary studies, especially
in Ontario and British Colum-
bia which have the highest
Indian populations and the
most successful secondary
school systems for Indians
(and hence the largest number
of potential post-secondary
students). Almost all Indian
students who do not receive
assistance will havé no other

way of’ “atlénding “a post-

Proto: U. of Red!

U. of Regina: will native students be shut out of system?

secondary institution. © ~

In August 1987, Liberal
Indian affairs critic Keith Pen-
ner predicted in the House of
Commons that only students
in priorities one and two will
receive funding in 1987/88.
Eligible high school graduates.
mature students enrolling for
the first time, students begin-
ning law, medicine and educa-
tion degrees, and any student
who has dropped out for any
reason whatsoever, wil not
receive assistance.

The capping of PSEAP
funds will probably have little
or no effect on Inuit students
given that there are very few
secondary schools in the north
and.programs which once ena-

bled Inuit students to attend |

high schools in Winnipeg and
Ottawa have been discon-
tinued. As a result, there are
not enough: Inuit post-
secondary students currently
enrolled, nor enough potenuial
post-secondary students, to
have any applicant refused
PSEAP funding by regional
offices as a result of capping.

The changes in policy
regarding the PSEAP have
been rejected by the Assembly

of First Nations (AFN), which |

says it intends to co-ordinate

a national pressure campaign
to reverse the capping of fund,
ing. The AFN underlines the
fact that in April 1985 the
Prime Minister said policies
affecting aboriginal people

‘ would be made only in consul-

tation with the people con-
cerned. There -has been no

_consultation over the current

policy changes to PSEAP,
although DIAND suggests
that the current measures are
temporary, to be used until
changes can be developed with

“the input of Indian leaders.

The policy changes have
also been questioned in the
House of Commons, and in
the Standing Committee on

Aboriginal Affairs and North- . -

ers Development. In August
1987 Mr. Penner said in the
Commons that the case pul
forward by the Minister of
DIAND “‘is that the participa-
tion rate of this program has
grown. Ten years ago there
were 3,500 eligible students in
this Indian post-secondary
education program, and today
there are 12,000. The costs
have grown from $8 million to
$93.7 million.. That is the

beginning and that is the end

of the Minister's case.”’

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