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Abstract
This article explores Aboriginal post secondary students' perceptions of the contributors and barriers to success in university undergraduate programs. Students identified a number of university services that contributed to a positive university experience. These included Aboriginal counsellors, dedicated scholarships and bursaries, and space specifically allocated for Aboriginal students. They also discussed the challenges they faced in pursuing a university degree such as transition issues, finances and lack of community. This information is important to institutions looking at improving services for Aboriginal students.
Résumé
L'article explore les perceptions par des étudiants de niveau postsecondaire des facteurs qui contribuent à leur réussite dans les programmes universitaires de premier cycle et de ceux qui créent des obstacles à cette réussite. Les étudiants ont cerné un certain nombre de services universitaires qui ont contribué à une expérience positive, y compris les conseillers autochtones, les bourses d'études réservées aux Autochtones et les espaces réservés aux étudiants autochtones. Ces derniers ont également discuté des défis à affronter dans la poursuite d'un diplôme universitaire, tels que les questions de transition, les problèmes financiers et le manque de communauté. Ces renseignements sont importants pour les établissements qui cherchent à améliorer leurs services aux étudiants autochtones.
Introduction
In recent years, significant attention has been focused on First Nations and Metis students' educational success. In 2009, for example, the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) released a number of key findings regarding Aboriginal people's education. CCL noted the wide discrepancy in postsecondary attainment between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students, and cited statistics that are alarming. Only 8% of Aboriginal people in Canada have completed university, compared with 23% of non-Aboriginal Canadians - something that should be of great concern to everyone in our country.
Post-secondary education achievement is positively related to health status, employment income, and many other quality-of-life factors for Aboriginal people (Chacaby et al., 2008). it stands to reason, then, that to increase the health of Aboriginal peoples, we must increase post-secondary student achievement (Aboriginal Roundtable, 2007; Wotherspoon & Schissel, 1998).
Doing so requires addressing a number of well-documented challenges facing Aboriginal students. Research has shown that accessibility and affordability are two primary difficulties. The capping of educational funding from the federal government at 1989 rates has been identified as contributing to these...