Aurora College student wants out
Qualifying year for social-work diploma useless since program suspended, says woman
Kirsten Fenn
Northern News Services
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A student who wants to withdraw from the qualifying program for Aurora College's now-suspended social-work diploma says she is frustrated the government won't forgive her loans if she leaves now.
Danielle Judas, left, Jacqueline Hunt-Cornock, Percilla Judas and Sonya Almond are four of the five students in the social work access program at Aurora College. The GNWT has said admissions to the social work diploma program are on pause pending a foundational review. - NNSL file photo |
"Since the access program is so limited, we kind of wanted to quit," said Jacqueline Hunt-Cornock, one of five women in the qualifying year "access" program for social work.
She said the qualifying year does little to help her get into other programs like business or environment and natural resources technology at the college.
That's left her with few education options after the GNWT announced it is halting admissions to Aurora College's social work and teacher education programs while a foundational review of the college is completed.
But Hunt-Cornock said the Student Financial Assistance office won't forgive her remissible loans for the access program, even though she says it is no longer as useful to her.
Remissible loans are loans the GNWT can forgive when a student has been finished full-time studies for at least six months, completed their full course load, has been living in the NWT for at least three months and has made an application for loan forgiveness, according to GNWT's Student Financial Assistance website.
Hunt-Cornock said she missed that deadline last week.
While the foundational review of Aurora College is expected to be completed by the fall, there are no guarantees the social work or teacher education programs will re-open.
"It's like we're being forced to finish a program that's not getting us anywhere," Hunt-Cornock said. "It's getting us somewhere, but not what we wanted or anything that's very useful."
The born-and-raised Yellowknifer now plans to start the 10-month personal support worker program at Aurora College this fall, adding it's the only thing she qualifies for.
Staying in the North is important to her, but she is disappointed she has to forego her first-choice career path.
"I had my heart set on being a social worker and staying in the North and giving back to my community," Hunt-Cornock said.
"I am still hoping that it will open up, but I really don't have any faith in (Education, Culture and Employment Minister) Alfred Moses."
She said she is disappointed a minister who she believes should support the North has told students they must continue their education elsewhere if they want to be social workers.
Yellowknifer requested an interview from the education department on the status of the foundational review and received an e-mail statement from spokesperson Jacqueline McKinnon, who said the terms of reference are being compiled for the procurement process.
The review is supposed to be finished by this fall, according to a statement Moses made in March.
But Hunt-Cornock isn't holding her breath.
"I can't just wait around for him to make decisions," she said. "It all leads back to the minister of education - we're all just really, really disappointed in him. I have faith that the program will come back, but I don't have any faith in him."
