page_title: Higher education in British Columbia
section_title: Aboriginal students
hierarchical_section_title: Higher education in British Columbia / Equity, mobility, and access / Aboriginal students
caption_attribution_description: First Nations totem pole and longhouse at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. University Endowment Lands, BC, Canada.
context_page_description: Higher education in British Columbia is delivered by 25 publicly funded institutions that are composed of eleven universities, eleven colleges, and three institutes. This is in addition to three private universities, five private colleges, and six theological colleges. There are also an extensive number of private career institutes and colleges.
  In 2007, the population of British Columbia stood at 4,383,000. Approximately 433,000 people were enrolled in public post-secondary institutions in BC during the 2006–2007 academic year. More than 17,250 identified themselves as Aboriginal students and approximately 10,500 were international students. In the 2011 calendar year, 151,774 applications took place through BCcampus, a publicly funded organization whose role is to support higher education by providing leadership in the use of ICT.
  Each of the province's post-secondary institutions sets its own admission requirements. Generally, successful graduation from high school, with the required academic prerequisites, is needed for admission to programs. Special consideration may be given to mature applicants, Aboriginal peoples, and people with disabilities.
context_section_description: There is a concentrated effort in British Columbia to increase access to higher education for aboriginal peoples. The Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), commissioned a report in 2002 that stated only 38% of Aboriginal students were found to finish high school, compared with 77% of non-Aboriginal students. The legacy of residential schools, of distrust or indifference to the school system, which is seen as antagonistic to their culture, and the lack of reflection of an Aboriginal perspective in the secondary system were all cited as factors in the poor performance and completion of Aboriginals in the secondary system which subsequently affects enrolment of Aboriginal peoples in post-secondary education.
  As of 2005, four out of ten Aboriginal people in British Columbia complete post-secondary education compared to six out of ten non-aboriginal students.
  Currently in British Columbia there are three Aboriginal institutions, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Native Education College (a private Aboriginal College), and Wilp Wilxo'oskwhl Nisga'a. These institutions offer academic, vocational, technical, and continuing education for adults, striving to provide bilingual, bicultural certificate, diploma, and degree programs in areas such as forest rangers/technicians, fishery technicians, biologists, and scientists and training in hospitality and tourism, social services, trades, and financial planning.  The following universities offer the largest number of programs designed specifically for Aboriginal students and also have some of the largest enrolments of Aboriginal peoples: Thompson Rivers University,  Simon Fraser University, University of Northern British Columbia, University of Victoria, University of British Columbia, and Royal Roads University.
  On April 24, 2007, the provincial government announced a $65-million "Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education Strategy" to close the education gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. This strategy aimed to accomplish this goal by:
  Increasing the opportunity for Aboriginal students and those who want to be by providing funding to the Aboriginal Endowment Scholarship, the Chief Joe Mathias B.C. Aboriginal Scholarship, Alberta Centennial Scholarships and loan options through StudentAid BC.
  Supporting three-year Aboriginal service plans created by communities and institutions to develop partnerships that will encourage people to access post-secondary programs that will lead to jobs in their local areas.
  Increasing opportunities for institutions and communities to develop Aboriginal-focused programs that recognize cultural and learning needs, like the Aboriginal Special Projects Fund.
  Building supportive ways to help Aboriginal people enter the education system through adult basic education, upgrading and beyond up to graduate levels to reach their goals.
  Providing institutions with funding to build culturally welcoming structures and gathering places that will lower isolation and increase retention by reflecting the character, community and traditions of Aboriginal cultures.
  Encouraging Aboriginal perspectives and decision making by supporting Aboriginal participation on public post-secondary education boards.
  Continuing to address the education needs of Aboriginal students by working with institutions to create a system-wide standard to track participation and success.
  Aboriginal students have personal and academic support like that offered through the First Nations House of Learning at the University of British Columbia, which offers students a "home away from home" and can help to alleviate the feelings of isolation and loneliness that many Aboriginal people feel, especially at large urban universities and colleges.  The same principle is available at the University of Victoria at their First Peoples House and Simon fraser university's first nations Student Centre.
  Every public post-secondary institution in British Columbia provides services or liaisons for Aboriginal students . Thompson Rivers University, for example, provides an Elder-in-Residence in t
caption: First Nations totem pole and longhouse at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia
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