However these programs have serious limitations:

• Not all Status Indians, such as “Bill C-31 Indians” who achieved Indian Status through changes to the Indian Act in 1985, can access the Student Support or Entrance Preparation programs, and no non-Status or Métis are eligible for these programs.
• The programs do not provide sufficient funds to cover students’ costs. In effect, “the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) found that First Nations students receive only enough funding to cover 48% of the estimated average provincial cost per student per academic year.?
• As stated earlier, although the number of students funded by the Post-Secondary Student Support Program increased substantially between1977-78 and 1999-2000, INAC funding for this program has not increased since 1989. As a result, the program is not meeting the real demand for post-secondary funding for as the Assembly of First Nations has estimated, there are currently 10,000 First Nations students who are eligible and want to attend post-secondary education but are on waiting lists.
• The PSSSP does not fund one-year programs, trades training, computer studies or upgrading and there are restrictions on the choice of institution and the age of students.
• In addition, the federal government has recently raised the possibility of taxing student support funding which will add even more challenges to eligible students who want to enrol in post­ secondary programs.

Since Non-Status and Métis students cannot access the INAC programs, they must rely on their own resources or Canada Student Loans in order to fund their post-secondary education, and once again these are often insufficient.

5.2 Funding Sources accessed by Colleges and Institutes for the Development and Delivery of Services and Programs for Aboriginal Learners

Colleges and institutes which participated in the on-line survey and interviews were asked to identify their main sources of funding for both Assessment, Counselling and Support Services and Education and Training Programs. The main sources which would be available to colleges and institutes are:

• operating or base funding provided by provincial or territorial governments to colleges and institutes for the development and delivery of all programs and services;
• tuition;
• earned revenue from contract training;
• Aboriginal program or project funding from provincial or territorial governments;
• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, namely through the Indian Studies Support Program which offers financial assistance through post-secondary institutions for the delivery of special programs for Aboriginal students;
• Human Resources and Skills Development Canada through the Aboriginal Human Resource Development Agreements (AHRDA’s) or Labour Market Development Agreements;