• Project Based Funding

Colleges and institutes have grown to rely on project based funding to supplement the limited resources available from provincial or territorial governments through operating grants or base funding. This type of funding is typically used to match and leverage funds for the delivery of Aboriginal-specific and community programs. Some colleges indicated that there is less project- based funding available in recent years as it is increasingly difficult to access.

Project-based funding often enables institutions to develop innovative approaches to Aboriginal program and service delivery, however it is typically short-term funding or pilot-based and therefore is limited to “one-off” type pilot projects and does not enable institutions to address long term needs. These types of experimental approaches make it difficult to support students adequately, and once project funding is expired, institutions typically have to scale down or cancel the service or program.

In the Yukon, funding available from First Nations Governments varies from one First Nation to another depending on their Land Claims Final Agreements. Demand for programming is highly variable due to a boom-bust economy, often driven by short-term mega-projects.

• Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Program Funding

Ontario colleges and institutes all indicated that the level of funding from the Aboriginal Education and Training Strategy (AETS) from the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has not increased since the initial allocation well over 15 years ago. The allocation is fixed and is not reflective of the broad scope of Aboriginal programs and services colleges are delivering for Aboriginal learners. The level is not sufficient to provide all the services or deliver all the programming requested, in particular with the increase in the number of Aboriginal students served. In addition, the funding does not reflect the unionized work environment and how salaries are taking up more than half of the funds available. Stability and long term workers’ costs create new pressures and do not allow for enhancement or development programs.

Some examples of the challenges Ontario colleges are facing related to the AETS include:

• Georgian College served approximately 30 Aboriginal students when they first received the allocation, and today they serve 300-400 Aboriginal students with the same level of funding.
• Fleming College indicated that AETS funding only assists with staffing compliments and does not provide for any operating dollars. This combined with the challenges facing all colleges with trying to do more with less makes for some very difficult choices with respect to priorities for support services. Fleming College has established an operating budget for Aboriginal Services but would like to do so much more.
• Sault College uses approximately 80 percent of the funds received from the AETS to cover staff wages and benefits. As a result, there are not enough funds to adequately invest in new program development.
• Confederation College recommended that the AETS be evaluated province wide to take into account the growth and how northern colleges in particular are grappling with a larger Aboriginal demographic and central priorities in the resource-based economies in the north today.