Ottawa, ON, May 20, 2026— The National Indigenous Advocacy Committee of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) has formally submitted petition e-7431 to the House of Commons calling on the federal government to permanently strengthen and expand funding for Indigenous post-secondary student support.
Sponsored by Billy Morin, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Northwest, the petition urges the Government of Canada to ensure all eligible Indigenous students have access to sufficient, predictable and distinctions-based financial aid. CASA and L’Union Etudiante du Québec (UEQ) specifically calls for permanent increases to the Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP), Inuit Education Strategy, and Métis Education Strategy before current temporary expansions expire in 2027.
“Indigenous students know firsthand the barriers that still stand between our people and equitable access to post-secondary education,” said Shyanna Denny, Chair of the National Indigenous Advocacy Committee. “This is not simply a question of policy or funding; it is about the long-term well-being of our communities, the strength of our families, and the ability of future generations of Indigenous leaders to succeed”. “While temporary funding expansions have helped open more doors for students to pursue their education, those doors cannot close in 2027. The federal government has treaty responsibilities and commitments to provide long-term, predictable investments that honour the distinct needs and priorities of First Nations, Inuit and Métis learners across the country.”
Despite growing demand for post-secondary education and improved high school graduation rates, Indigenous students continue to experience lower rates of post-secondary attainment than non-indigenous students. CASA stresses the necessity of stable and inflation-indexed funding to close the post-secondary access gap and support Indigenous self-determination, economic participation and capacity building.
“Indigenous students should not have to constantly wonder whether the support they depend on to pursue their studies will still be available the following year,” said Loïc Goyette, President of the UEQ. “It is essential that the government ensure these students are not living in uncertainty and financial instability by making their financial situation predictable.”
This petition reflects CASA and UEQ’s continued advocacy for equitable access to post-secondary education and sustainable federal investments that meet the needs of Indigenous students across Canada.
About CASA
Established in 1995, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations is a non-partisan, not-for-profit national student organization composed of 25 student associations across the country. Through our partnership with the Quebec Student Union/Union étudiante du Québec, CASA represents 365,000 post-secondary students across Canada.
About the National Indigenous Advocacy Committee:
The National Indigenous Advocacy Committee (NIAC) is a national advocacy body within CASA, composed of Indigenous students from across Turtle Island. This group represents Indigenous students’ advocacy interests within CASA and believes that access to post-secondary education is an inherent treaty right, guaranteed under the Numbered Treaties (1871-1921). NIAC’s mission is to ensure Indigenous students are being given opportunities to enter and succeed in post-secondary, as well as to advocate for increased action to meet the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s 94 calls to action.
About L’Union Étudiante du Québec
The Quebec Student Union (QSU), a provincial advocacy organization that represents 79,000 students in Quebec, and the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) came together in May 2017 to form a partnership with the intent of strengthening the advocacy efforts of both organizations and of all students in Canada. While both parties agreed to continue working independently and have no voting rights to influence the other, the agreement allows for the two organizations to pool their knowledge and collaborate on policy development, research, and advocacy activities aimed at improving Canada’s post-secondary system.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Canadian Alliance of Student Associations
Mariam Trifess
Communications and Public Relations Officer
(438) 225-4492
