YELLOWKNIFE - Former residential school students are being asked to sign a form indicating if they are opting in or out of the government settlement plan.

Julie Thrasher of the Inuvik homeless shelter shows a form used for requesting claim forms for the upcoming residential school payments. Thrasher has the forms at the shelter and more information can be found online. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

The forms were brought to Inuvik by the Assembly of First Nations last month.

Two presenters at a meeting held at the Alex Moses Greenland Building told people about the current agreement and what they can do to ensure they receive their settlement payment.

AFN Indian Residential School Unit Manager Charlene Belleau said the agreement has received approval from all nine required judges.

"Now it's up to former students to decide if they approve the agreement," said Belleau.

Belleau said her presentations were to inform the people about what it would mean to approve or decline the settlement.

"The timeline is short for this process," she said.

The court approval came on March 20, 2007. Belleau said there is a 150 day period where former students can opt out of the agreement.

Belleau said that a person who does not agree to the settlement can choose to opt out and not receive the payment.

"A person might opt out if they think they can get more from the government and the churches if they sue them personally," said Belleau.

Belleau added that if 5,000 of the 80,000 former students choose to decline the offer and opt out of the settlement, the federal government may not proceed with the settlement agreement.

"Right now, the two choices for the people are to accept the approved money, or to decline," said Belleau.

"If everything is approved, then people could apply for the common experience payment."

The common experience payment is $10,000 for the first year spent in a residential school and $3,000 for every other year.

"There is a lot offered in the package," said Belleau.

Forms can be found at the Inuvik homeless shelter with Julie Thrasher.

"The form is for basic information so they can mail you the actual claim form," said Thrasher.

"These are only requests for the claim form."