Researchers from Algoma University and the University of Toronto recently published a study on supports for Indigenous students that help to improve access and success in postsecondary education. Researchers Rose E Cameron (AlgomaU), Meghan Bird (U of T), Deanna Naveau-Heyd (AlgomaU), and Esme Fuller-Thompson (U of T) identified several financial and social barriers that Indigenous students may encounter, such as difficulties with the transition off-reservation, parental and childcare responsibilities, and a lack of funds. The researchers made several recommendations for how postsecondary institutions can better support Indigenous students, such as by offering increased funding, hosting affordable childcare options, supporting the transition to postsecondary education, and offering culturally affirming supports. Naveau-Heyde, who is of the Mattagami First Nation, pointed to AlgomaU’s Anishinaabe Academic Resource Centre as one model that institutions could follow when looking to support students of Indigenous ancestry.
