by Glenn Taylor
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Aug 22/97) - Government must tread carefully if it intends to reduce or limit funding for student loans and grants, residents told the Ministerial Forum on Student Financial Assistance last weekend.

"The budget (for student assistance) has been growing larger every year, and now (the GNWT) has said, 'Whoa, we have to live within our means,'" said Louise Vertes, a Yellowknife consultant appointed to chair the forum.

Many Inuvik residents seemed to accept the panel's suggestion that cost-cutting of the program is in order, but they also cautioned that raising educational standards in the North is among the most important jobs government does.

The GNWT's cost to bankroll Northern students in post-secondary pursuits is growing quickly. Last year, government spent $15.5 million to support 2,000 students. That's up considerably from 1990-91, when $7.5 million was awarded to 1,100 students.

The program is expected to top $17 million in 1997-98, with 6.5 per cent more students accessing the program.

The program has never had a budget cap in the past, and whenever costs exceeded estimates, government found money elsewhere for the program, said Vertes. But those days are likely over, she continued.

The program is among the most generous in Canada. The basic grant offered to aboriginals and non-aboriginals attending school in the NWT is $1,250 per semester, two return airfares home per year, and a moving allowance of $295 for singles and $1,490 for couples.

Aboriginal students are also eligible for a supplementary grant of $400 per year for books, a $675 monthly living allowance, and one return air ticket for dependents. If a student chooses to live outside college residence in higher-priced accommodations, an allowance may be offered to offset this cost.

Non-aboriginal students are not eligible for the supplementary grant, but if they are an NWT resident for at least three years, they may apply for a loan of $3,200 per year, which climbs if the students has children or other dependents.

If the student returns to work in the North after graduation, the government will agree to forgive $3,000 of the loan for each year they work here.

"I think the funding is excellent. It's a great program," said a young Gwich'in man studying in Alberta. "But please keep in mind the financial situation of many families here. If I didn't have this program, my parents could not have afforded it, (and) I wouldn't be going to school."

Many residents suggested the government could cut costs by screening out applicants not firmly committed to their studies. Periodic checks of students' progress in school could be implemented, with funding tied to academic success. "Giving funding to everybody is a bad thing," said one man.

Another resident said the government should also provide better counselling to students, to help them deal with the culture shock and increased responsibilities of moving south to study.

One woman said communities could help by reviewing applications, and then recommending whether or not that person is likely to succeed at school.

"We have students who try to attend school, but may have drinking or gambling problems," she said. "Those people don't make it, and drop out. Communities know who's ready and could help."

"That's the name of the game ... it's called community empowerment," agreed forum member Jason Lepine from Fort Smith.

Another resident balked at the idea, saying they wouldn't trust any process that put their educational future in the hands of others.

Families with financial means should help pay for schooling, said another resident. This suggestion was also disputed by another resident, who noted some parents might be unwilling to support their children in academic pursuits. "If family income is looked at, it shouldn't prevent people from accessing education," she said.

One resident raised a significant question that government has never adequately addressed: "There's a common trend that aboriginal students from across the territories are rarely succeeding," she said. "What's wrong?" The panel agreed that question needs proper review, and noted that about two-thirds of student funding is used by aboriginal students.

Many residents concluded that government should not be alone in supporting students, that families and communities should also be contributing.

But in the meantime, lack of money should not be an obstacle to those students serious about building their futures. Changing the program is a highly charged political issue, and "you can see why local politicians don't want to talk about it," said Wendy Colpitts, forum member. "But somebody has to bite the bullet sometime."

The forum continued its tour in Yellowknife this week, and will travel to Iqaluit before issuing its report in October to the legislative assembly.