Great news for Indigenous students on National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Three Canadian schools have announced their plans to make post-secondary education more accessible to First Nation, Inuit, and Métis students.

Humber College

Humber College, in Toronto, Ontario, is offering free tuition to Indigenous students from eight First Nation communities. This new initiative starts this fall, and is an amazing offer for students who might not otherwise consider higher education.

The eight communities are:

• Alderville First Nation
• Curve Lake First Nation
• Hiawatha First Nation
• Chippewas of Georgina Island
• Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
• Mississaugas of the Scugog Island First Nation
• Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte (Tyendinaga Mohawk)
• Six Nations of the Grand River

Humber's committed to making post-secondary education more equitable and diverse, and this tuition waiver helps advance the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Read more about Humber's tuition waiver for First Nation students here.

Red River College Polytechnic

RRC Polytech, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is waiving all application fees for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit learners for any program at the college. In the first week of this initiative, RRC Polytech's received over 100 applications.

Waiving the application fees is part of the college's ongoing commitment to growing Indigenous enrollment in college education. They cite Statistics Canada data that suggests Indigenous people have a lower post-secondary completion rate than non-Indigenous populations.

Making the application process more accessible will help grow Indigenous enrollment in the long term!

Read more about Red River College Polytechnic's application fee waiver for Indigenous students here.

McGill University

McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, is consistently one of Canada's best-ranked universities. Starting this fall, McGill will cover tuition and fees for many Indigenous students. McGill's taking a two-pronged approach:

1. Waivers for members of local First Nation communities

Indigenous students from local communities will enjoy tuition and fee waivers for any program at McGill. These local communities include:

• Kahnawà:ke
• Kanesatake
• Akwesasne (including members of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe)
• Six Nations of the Grand River

2. Social work, continuing studies, and First Nations and Indigenous Education students from particular communities

Students who are enrolled in, or considering, a diploma under either the School of Social Work, the School of Continuing Studies, or the Office of First Nations and Indigenous Education, and who are members of one of the following groups, will also receive a tuition and fee waiver:

• Cree Nation of Mistissini
• Cree Nation of Eastmain
• Cree Nation Government
• Cree Nation of Chisasibi
• Cree Eeyou Resource and Research Institute
• Ouje-Bougoumou Cree Nation
• Makivvik
• Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services
• Kativik Ilisarniliriniq
• Cree School Board
• Naskapi Education Committee
• Listuguj Education Directorate
• Micmacs of Gesgapegiag
• Nunavik
• Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education
• Kanehsatà:ke Mohawk Language Custodian Association
• Kahnawake Education Centre

Read more about McGill's tuition and fee waivers for Indigenous students here.

Kudos to each of these schools for going above and beyond in service of Indigenous students. Of course, these institutions are not the only ones supporting Indigenous learners, but they're making big moves to ensure greater diversity in the classroom, and broader access to opportunities for local Indigenous communities. Good on you!