NEGOCIOS INTERNACIONALES

Overall responsibility for determining the eligibility of SFA applicants resides with the Deputy Minister. Management and delivery of the program is the responsibility of the Manager of Income Security Programs and the Supervisor for the SFA program31. Three units manage and operate the program: Operations Unit (responsible for accepting and processing applications, and collecting loans once they are in repayment); Information Systems Unit (information systems and technology), and the Policy, Planning and Information Services Unit (develops policy and research, develops communications materials, evaluates the program, and participates on teams and committees, including federal/provincial initiatives).32

29

GNWT ECE. July 2007. Income Security – Breaking Down the Barriers of Poverty, Promoting Self Reliance. P. 3.

30

GNWT ECE. July 2007. Income Security – Breaking Down the Barriers of Poverty, Promoting Self Reliance. P. 4.

31 _{GNWT ECE. Northwest Territories Student Financial Assistance Annual Report – September to August 2007/2008. Page 4.} 32

Approximately 2,200 applications are received by the program per year, and according to the NWT Bureau of Statistics, just under 1,400 individuals were SFA recipients in 2008 (which would suggest roughly 60% of applications result in students receiving funding). For the majority of the program’s existence, the number of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal recipients were roughly matched (736 non- Aboriginal compared to 639 Aboriginal recipients in 2008).

According to a recent (2010) survey of over 400 students, generally students were satisfied with services provided by SFA, with little variation between different demographic groups33. However, 149 students or 11.5% disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement “the application was processed in a timely manner”34, which mirrors findings cited in a 2002 report that “in the past there have been some problems with timeliness”35.

3.6.2 Program Benefits

Together with Nunavut and Quebec, the Northwest Territories is one of three jurisdictions in Canada which does not participate in the Canada Student Loans program. Instead, the Government of the Northwest Territories delivers the Student Financial Assistance Program. Assistance is provided to full- time and part-time Northwest Territories residents attending accredited post-secondary institutions and programs in Canada. The purpose of the Student Financial Assistance Program is to supplement the cost of obtaining a postsecondary education through a combination of grants and loans.

Like other provinces, the NWT SFA program is delivered through a combination of grants and loans to students to offset the costs of accredited postsecondary education; and, like other regions of Canada, the cost for postsecondary is understood to be a shared responsibility – that is, shared between the student, who is responsible for contributing resources to their education. SFA is meant to supplement student financial resources, rather than fully-fund educational programs.

To be eligible for the Student Financial Assistance Program, program participants must:  be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada;

 be a resident of the NWT according to program criteria;  study at a designated institution; and,

 be enrolled in an approved postsecondary program or course of study.

Program participants must also be in good standing with the Student Financial Assistance Program and may not be receiving student financial aid from another provincial, territorial or federal program.

The definition of resident is as follows:36

 Actually residing in the NWT for a 12 continuous months or more (not in full‐time postsecondary studies),

 The person, or his/her spouse, is temporarily posted in a place of employment outside of the NWT, where the place of business is in the NWT. (There is no definition of temporary. Our current practice is 2 years or less. As well, we are also applying a medical condition untreatable in the NWT as a temporary absence – acceptable proof must be included.),

 The person, or his/her spouse, is in full‐time approved postsecondary studies and was

33 _{NWT Bureau of Statistics. 2010. Student Financial Assistance 2010 Client Satisfaction Survey.} 34

NWT Bureau of Statistics. 2010. Student Financial Assistance 2010 Client Satisfaction Survey.

35

Terriplan Consultants and Martin Spigelman Research Associates. 2002. Policy Review: Decentralizing the Administration of the Student Assistance Program in the Northwest Territories.

36

considered actually or ordinarily resident before they left the NWT, and/or

 The person is in K‐12 outside of the NWT where the parent who ordinarily resides with the person is actually a resident of the NWT under a), b) or c).

 If you have been out of the NWT for more than 12 continuous months, but you have not resided in one specific province, territory or country for 12 continuous months, you are still considered ordinarily resident of the NWT.

For full-time students are eligible for assistance in the form of one or more following types of payments:  Basic Grant (for tuition, books and travel);

 Supplementary Grant (monthly living allowance);  Remissible Loan (monthly living allowance);

 Repayable Loan (for tuition, books, travel and monthly living expenses); and,

 NWT Study Grant (for students with permanent disabilities to cover costs of tutoring, special assistants, and special equipment).

Students undertaking post-secondary studies on a part-time basis are also eligible for financial assistance in the form of:

 course reimbursement (for tuition, admission or enrollment fees, textbooks, child care, and internet fees); and,

 NWT Study Grant (for students with permanent disabilities). The table below outlines the benefit levels for eligible students.37

Table 12: Benefit Levels for Eligible Students

Benefit Type Allotted Benefits

Repayable Loan Up to $1,400 per Month

NWT Study Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities

Up to $8,000 per Academic Year

Basic Grant Up to $1,925 for Tuition and Fees per Semester Up to $400 for Books per Semester

Travel to the Nearest Institution

Supplementary Grant OR

Remissible Loan

Per month Single Single Parent Spouse, no Income Spouse, with Income

Single Student $700 N/A N/A N/A

0 Dependents N/A N/A $900 $700

1 Dependent N/A $1,100 $1,100 $900 2 Dependents N/A $1,300 $1,300 $1,100 3 Dependents N/A $1,500 $1,500 $1,300 Each Additional Dependent N/A $50 $50 $50

Course Reimbursement (Part-Time) Up to $500 per Course Course Reimbursement: NWT

Study Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities (Part-Time)

Up to $1,000 per Full Credit Course

Program funding is provided to students according to three distinct student categories:

 Northern Indigenous Aboriginal Residents can receive up to 12 semesters of the Basic Grant

37

and Supplementary Grant or a Remissible Loan (they must choose one, and cannot receive a combination of both Supplementary Grant and Remissible Loan). Students in this category may also be eligible for a needs-assessed repayable loan.

 Northern Residents Schooled in the NWT can receive one semester of the Basic Grant and Remissible Loan for each grade between one and 12 successfully completed while ordinarily resident in the NWT. Students in this category may also be eligible for a needs-assessed repayable loan. They are not eligible for a Supplementary Grant.

 Northern Residents Schooled in the NWT can receive a needs-assessed repayable loan. The chart below outlines the types of assistance available for each of the three student categories.

Table 13: Types of Student Financial Assistance

Assistance Type Northern Aboriginal Northern Schooled Northern Resident Basic Grant X X Supplementary Grant X, OR Remissible Loan X X

Study Grant for Students with Permanent Disabilities X X X

Course Reimbursement X X X

Source: GNWT Education, Culture and Employment, Student Financial Assistance Handbook.

According to recent discussions in the legislature, living allowances have not increased since 2000, while CPI has increased 27%;38 and according to a 2007 report on the GNWT’s Income Security Framework, SFA recipients have not seen an increase in funding levels since 2001. Because of this, the Framework suggested adjusting benefit rates on a regular basis “to ensure that the level of need of income security recipients does not increase”.39

Based on the maximum allowable funding, and the possible funding available per semester as detailed, students may receive their maximum allowable funding prior to completion of a 4-year program.

The following table presents estimates for several universities which accept Aurora College programs as transfer credits. The maximum Basic Grant allotment covers less than 50% of tuition at most of these universities. These estimates are based on undergraduate courses, with full course load (i.e., 5 courses per semester).

Table 14: Basic Grant Allotment

Basic Grant Allotment $1,925 per semester

Aurora College $1,285 per term, estimated fees 40

University of Alberta $3,344 total per semester; Nursing (BSc): $4,213.8541

University of Calgary $3,131 estimated tuition and fees per semester 42

University of Lethbridge $2,650 estimated tuition and fees per term43

University of Victoria $2,790 estimated tuition and fees per semester44

38 _{MOTION Increase to Student Financial Assistance Living Allowances} 39

GNWT ECE. July 2007. Income Security – Breaking Down the Barriers of Poverty, Promoting Self Reliance. P. 18.

40

Aurora College. 2011. Academic Calendar 2011-2012.

41 _{http://www.registrarsoffice.ualberta.ca/Costs-Tuition-Fees/FallWinter-Tuition-for-Canadian-Citizens-and-Permanent-Residents/Sample-} FallWinter-Assessments-for-Canadian-Students.aspx#general 42 http://www.ucalgary.ca/registrar/files/registrar/FEES_CHART.pdf 43 _{https://discover.ulethbridge.ca/highschool/tuition.ezc} 44 http://web.uvic.ca/calendar2011/uvicCal-Undergrad-2011-1.pdf

Yukon College $1,750 total estimated tuition and fees per term 45

Nunavut Arctic College (10-11) $2,720 per year for Certificate or Diploma programs, $3,400 per year for Degree programs46

The maximum allotment for course reimbursement ($500) would cover most of the estimated cost of a 3-credit course at many of the same universities, but would cover less than half of a part-time course load (i.e., two courses per semester).