Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. To have a real shot at success in university or college, Aboriginal youth need financial aid that matches the real costs of education. They also need transitional supports because they confront barriers at every turn.

The rate of post-secondary obtained is considerably lower than their non-Aboriginal counterparts. Only four in 10 Aboriginal students in the NWT complete high school. Lackluster school performance haunts them for life. For example, Aboriginal people are not fairly represented in the GNWT because they often don’t have the right kind of educational credentials. There are exceptions, of course, like constituent Kathleen Graham who earned a master’s degree, but as a rule Aboriginal students don’t achieve on this scale.

Small community schools pose especially steep obstacles because high school diplomas don’t always reach an academic level that gets students into university or college. Other barriers are more subtle, such as mistrust in mainstream institutions and reluctance to leave the home community.

As well, without strong ties in the local band, the student may not be selected for funding and band-distributed funding isn’t guaranteed for the length of the program. Then there’s the clean-cut relationship between parents’ post-secondary attainment and their children’s. Here, Aboriginal youth are at a disadvantage.

To upgrade and qualify for a post-secondary program, the standard route is the ALBE program, but ALBE students aren’t eligible for student financial assistance. Admittedly, our Student Financial Assistance program is quite generous, but there is always a gap between what a student can access through financial aid and the real costs of education.

After factoring in tuition, books and living expenses, costs run upwards of $20,000 a year. Add a child into the equation and the figure runs closer to $30,000 a year. Most Aboriginal families don’t have enough discretionary income to make up the difference. For this reason, Aboriginal students are more likely to resort to big bank loans.

Working part time is another way to close that gap. This is more bad news, Mr. Speaker. Mixing schoolwork and paid work has a clear-cut negative effect on grades. The status quo is not a recipe for success. A revamped approach is required if we’re going to leverage the full potential of our youth. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.