“Good News” On Horizon For Native College Students
Friday, March 04, 2005 at 15:40
It appears the federal government is about to scrap a plan to tax First Nations post-secondary students for education grants they receive from their bands.
The proposal had been widely criticized by First Nations leaders and educators over fears that it would discourage Aboriginal young people from pursuing a university education.
But at the Liberal policy convention in Ottawa yesterday, Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott hinted there would be “good news’’ coming soon regarding this issue.
Anonymous government officials have confirmed that the government plans to abandon the idea.
The taxation proposal is part of a long-running battle between First Nations groups and the federal government over whether Native people have a treaty right to post-secondary education.
(With files from Broadcast News)