For colleges in the Atlantic overall colleges estimated that 1 percent of the student body self-identify as Aboriginal, however, the Labrador campuses of the College of the North Atlantic reported a 60 percent Aboriginal student body.
Quebec:
  • Heritage College: 5 percent, John Abbott College: 1 percent, Collège Edouard Montpetit: 5 percent; Cégep de Sept-Iles: 13 percent; Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue : 1 percent
For colleges in the Northern Territories:
  • Yukon College: 42 percent
  • Nunavut Arctic College: 95 percent

6.2 Enrolment at Aboriginal Institutions

Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies and Nicola Valley Institute of Technology are the two ACCC Aboriginal member institutions which participated in the study, and provided the following estimates on the number of students in education and training programs during the 2004-2005 academic year. These estimates are not for full-time equivalent students but rather for the number of individuals attending the institutions.

Education and Training Programs at Aboriginal Institutions Estimate of the Number of Students ­ SIIT Estimate of the Number of Students - NVIT
TOTAL 970 305
Preparatory programs for career/technical programs 80
Career/technical training programs 450 140
Pre-trades programs 100
Trades and apprenticeship programs 100
University preparation programs
University transfer programs 97
Applied degree
Baccalaureate degree
Access and upgrading programs 60
Adult Basic Education programs 180 33
Other, please specify 35

6.3 Challenges In Identifying Aboriginal Students At Mainstream Institutions

The majority of mainstream institutions confirmed that they experience challenges with having Aboriginal students self-identify. Respondent institutions indicated that the main reasons students do not self-identify include a mistrust of the institution’s motives, fear that the information will be used in a negative way, that it is no one’s business or that they do not want special treatment. These are essentially the same reasons that Aboriginal people do not participate in the census.

As an indicator, one college confirmed that only about 55 percent of Aboriginal students self- declare their identity. The college Aboriginal Student Centre and some dedicated instructors help increase awareness about the centre and many of those who do not identify on application forms do become involved by registering with the Aboriginal student club and participating in activities.