Students from the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, the First Nations communities on whose territory its campus is located, will not have to pay undergraduate or graduate tuition fees at Waterloo beginning this fall.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
The University of Waterloo is waiving tuition fees for students from two First Nations communities on whose territory its campus is located, an initiative its president hopes will spread across the country as a step toward reconciliation.
Students from the Six Nations of the Grand River and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation will not have to pay undergraduate or graduate tuition fees at Waterloo beginning this fall.
The initiative is among the first in the country. A similar plan to waive tuition for an undergraduate degree was created at the University of Northern British Columbia in 2019 for members of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation.
Waterloo president Vivek Goel said it’s a demonstration of the university’s commitment to reconciliation.
“We can’t fix the past. But we can try to make the future better,” Dr. Goel said. “We need to show students that there are opportunities, there is a place for them and they will be welcomed.”
Addressing the educational gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada is one of the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Dr. Goel said he hopes the tuition waiver will alleviate part of the financial burden that can pose a barrier to students and raise awareness of the opportunities that exist at university.
Waterloo also announced Thursday that Indigenous students from elsewhere in Canada will be eligible to pay the same tuition fees as Ontario students, as will Native American students from the U.S., who will not be asked to pay international student fees.
About 1 per cent of students at Waterloo are Indigenous, according to the university’s estimate. Dr. Goel said it’s difficult to predict how many students might take up the offer and what it may cost to implement the tuition waiver. He said his goal is to see Indigenous student representation rise to the level of the broader population in the region.
“We’re not anticipating that overnight we’re going to have huge numbers. I think it’s going to take time,” Dr. Goel said.
Justine Henhawk-Bomberry, director of student services at the Grand River First Nation postsecondary education office, said the funding will be helpful. Although many Six Nations students receive postsecondary funding distributed through her office, about 25 per cent of the 1,000 to 1,200 students who apply annually are turned down because of a lack of funds. The tuition waiver will free up money to allow more students to pursue a postsecondary education, she said.
“I’m hoping that other universities will come forward and do the same,” Ms. Henhawk-Bomberry said.
The 2021 census showed that 12.9 per cent of Indigenous people in Canada had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 27.8 per cent among Canadian-born non-Indigenous people. The gap in university-degree attainment increased between 2016 and 2021, as Indigenous education levels rose but not as much as those in the broader population.
Shelly Johnson, Canada Research Chair in Indigenizing higher education at Thompson Rivers University, said many institutions have been discussing similar tuition-related initiatives for Indigenous students in recent years but relatively few have been implemented. Waterloo’s tuition waiver is a good first move, she said, but nowhere near enough to address the educational-attainment gap.
Finances are only one of the barriers Indigenous students face in obtaining a postsecondary education, she said, and tuition is only part of the financial picture. Students often need support with rent, food, books and travel, Prof. Johnson said. They also need help with mentorship and navigating an institution where they may not see themselves reflected.
“What else are they doing to address how Indigenous students are going to experience a white-based curriculum when they come to that institution?” she said. “Is a tuition waiver enough? I think it’s a great first step. But it’s a baby step, and much more needs to happen.”
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