What we are calling “Advisors” are those people who provide direct support services to students. Components of this may include:

Academic Services: this involves providing information and assistance about what programs and services the institution has to offer; helping students to develop education plans and strategies; organizing study groups and other learning activities; assisting with admissions/registration processes and assisting students to move forward with their education.

Financial Services: this involves assisting students to access Band funding or assistance from Métis organizations or other Aboriginal organizations; providing information about bursaries and scholarships; liaising with students’ funders; and providing assistance to students in financial crisis.

Cultural Services: this involves planning or hosting cultural events; assisting students to get in touch with those who can provide them with cultural teachings; and supporting spiritual and emotional wellness.

It is important to take a wholistic approach. When you are working with students always remember to look at the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well being of that person.

Remember too that you are often the first contact that students have and it is so important to make them feel welcome.

Providing Academic Support to Students

Here are some of the tasks you may need to do to provide academic support to students:

Follow up with students who have made contact with you either personally, by phone, or by email. See how they are doing and let them know that you are there for them if they get stuck or overwhelmed with details of the application process.
Provide students with tips on how to prepare for assessments.
Refer students to the assessment center who do not have the prerequisites for their program of interest.
Review transcripts, requirements and make recommendations.
Assist students with their educational planning by providing them with information on how to apply, when to apply, what courses they need to take and in what order they should be taken. Explore as many options as you can to ensure they make informed decisions. This will help them take control of their own education.
Make students aware of tutoring or learning skills services that are available within your institution.
Assist students who have learning challenges to locate funding for testing.
Mail students information if they are unable to access your institution for whatever reason.
Attend Career Fairs on behalf of your programs and institution.
Encourage students to access tutoring before they are in crisis.

Assist students in arranging funding through their Band for tutoring.
Organize and provide workshops on study skills specific to First Nations’ learners.
Provide knowledge of time management and study skills or make referrals to appropriate student services.
Provide verification of student enrollment to various organizations upon the student’s request.
Sometimes advocate on behalf of students who are in crisis or have medical problems and need medical withdrawals from courses or programs.

Tips

You will need to be able to advocate on behalf of students who have learning challenges in the classroom. For example, Residential School survivors may panic in response to authority in classrooms and this can affect their ability to perform on tests. One solution is to provide a quiet, safe space for testing. Encourage students to talk to their instructors or the disability department in your institution to arrange special circumstances for writing exams and tests.
It will be useful for you to have knowledge of various learning styles of adult learners.
A great deal of the work that we do as Advisors involves answering questions by phone. Keep a list of names and phone numbers of people who contact your office and note the nature of their calls.
Be aware of the services that are available for students who have literacy issues or learning challenges and, when appropriate, refer students to these services.
Academic support is sometimes done by email; however, be aware that it can be time consuming unless you have prepared documents about frequently asked questions to send in reply.

Transition into your Institution

Students that are coming into your institution have a lot of questions that they may not even know how to ask. The following is a series of suggestions for you to make the transition as smooth as possible:

Arrange, organize, and conduct campus tours for potential students.
Provide information about programs, admission processes, prerequisite requirements, GPA requirements, and potential waiting lists.
Make students aware of the support systems that are available and the steps needed to access them.
Let out-of-town students know the importance of putting their names on wait lists for Aboriginal housing or other subsidized housing. Have them do this as early as possible.
Encourage students to place their names on wait lists for day care well in advance (a year if possible).
Make students aware of how to get prerequisites needed to get into programs of interest.
Provide students with resources and contacts within the institution.
Arrange for students to meet with program managers. Provide information about course work and expectations.
Arrange for current students to talk with potential students.
Support student applications for funding. Talk to students about the importance of having good communication with their funding sources.
Help students to identify any barriers that may get in the way of their student experience and then work to remove or work around some of these obstacles. It is important for students to be aware of all the challenges that may present themselves to them.
Make sure students are aware of their responsibilities around registration, withdrawing from courses, taking care of tuition and books, budgeting, seeking support services and communication with their instructors around extensions.
Maintain lists and contact information to be able to keep in touch with potential students.

Transition from your Institution

Students who are preparing to leave your institution also have transition needs. Here are some suggestions for you to assist them.

Be aware of upcoming Career Fairs and try to attend at least two per year. As well as promoting your own institution and programs, this helps you to keep knowledgeable about other institutions and provides you with great networking opportunities.
Provide students with contact names at other post-secondary institutions.
Let your contacts know that you have made referrals to them so they can follow up.
Know of the application processes to other institutions or graduate programs.
Provide brochures and other important information.
Assist students with the application process of other institutions, if and when appropriate.
Provide information about employment opportunities for graduates.
Develop a data management system to track graduates (this helps you prove that students’ education is worthwhile and helps to ensure that you will still be here to help other students.)
Be aware of the challenges that students and communities may face when students return to their communities after they have completed their education. Coach students on how to make a smooth transition to home.

Planning for convocation is the responsibility of some Advisors and some Coordinators. If you are responsible for this, work closely with students to plan this event. You need to set a date, find a location, and talk about food. Are you going to have the event catered? If so, who is going to pay? If it is going to be a team effort, who is going to be responsible for what? You need to send out invitations, invite local Chiefs and Elders and other VIPs, create an agenda, and maybe arrange a keynote speaker.

Providing Financial Support to Students

Becoming Eligible

Students who are registered as Status Indians or registered Inuit are eligible for post-secondary education benefits. This may include tuition, travel, book and living costs, but the extent of eligibility depends on what kind of program the student is taking and whether he or she is part-time or full-time.

Students who are recognized as Métis may be eligible for some education benefits that are administered by the Métis Provincial Council of BC.

Many students, by the time they reach post-secondary, have sorted out any membership issues. Some, however, do not yet have their Indian, Inuit, or Métis registration in place. They may ask for your assistance in obtaining documentation that enables them to claim benefits.

Indian Status

People who are eligible for Indian status are those who are children of Status Indians or children of Status Indians who gave up or lost their status. Students who wish to claim or reclaim status will have to contact Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) for application/registration forms (see http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca for more information). Students who are applying for status will need documentation about what First Nation they are from and whether or not their parent(s) were Status Indian/Band member(s) of what Nation. The first step is to contact:

Indian Affairs and Northern Development
600-1138 Melville Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 4S3
Phone (604) 775-5100 or (604) 666-2059
Fax (604) 775-7149

Inuit Registration

Inuit students who are not connected to their villages or homelands may also contact Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to see if they are registered, or they may be able to seek information and assistance from the Native Education Centre in Vancouver at (604) 873-3761.

Métis Status

People who are eligible for Métis status have an ancestral connection to the children of Indian women and European men who founded the Métis Nation (for more information see http://www.métisnation.ca). Students who wish to claim Métis status will need to contact their local of the Métis Provincial Council of British Columbia (http://www.mpcbc.bc.ca). Students will need to produce verification of ancestry, obtained either through a Métis organization recognized by the Métis Provincial Council of BC, or from a genealogy search obtained through a verified genealogist.

Types of Funding

Band Funding

A major service that Advisors provide to students who are Status Indians and Band members is to assist them with applications for Band or Tribal Council funding. Please note that there are varying application deadlines for Band funding. Some are as early as January; some Bands allow students to apply right into the summer. Check, if possible, what kind of deadlines the student will face.

Encourage students to write a letter to the Education Coordinator at their Band. Generally, the letter should include the following:

A brief introduction of who they are and who their parents/grandparents are. If the student does not know whom his or her parent(s) is/are, which is common for people who have been adopted or did not grow up with their family, a brief explanation of this situation is appropriate. Sometimes students will feel a range of emotions and may need your support in writing this letter or talking about their feelings around this issue. (See an example of such a letter in Appendix C, p 53)
In the letter students should state that they are applying for post-secondary funding and specify whether they are planning to take full or part time studies. Students should briefly discuss their educational history and where they are currently at with their educational pursuits. Students should outline short term and long term goals. For example:

“My short-term goal is to complete upgrading and then take a ten month certificate program in Child and Youth Care. That will lead into my long-term goal, which is to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Child and Youth Care.”
Students should outline program information, including the length of program(s) and costs for tuition and books. Students will often rely on you to provide them with this information or ask you where they can get this information. (If you don’t have this information you can request an Institutional Appendix document from your institution’s Financial Aid centre. Financial Aid must have this information for student loan applicants).
STRONGLY recommend that your students request the funding policy from their Bands in this letter. The policy should tell students how long the Band is willing to fund them for Certificates, Diplomas, and Degrees, as well as other important information.

Application:

Students should send their letter to the Band Education Coordinator with any other information that the Band has requested, such as their high school or previous college transcript or a letter of acceptance from the institution the student is applying to. Students may not be able to provide a letter of acceptance if they have just applied to the institution, or if the institution has not released letters of acceptance yet. Explain to students that they should not wait for an acceptance letter before submitting their Band application. Students should send their applications to their Bands and let the Bands know that they will forward their letter of acceptance as soon as they have received it. Students should get their applications in as early as possible in case the Band works on a “first-come-first-served” basis.

Students should allow at least four weeks for their Bands to get back to them in writing. Encourage students to follow their application up with a phone call to ensure that the application has been received and to check the status of the application. Students need to know that good communication with their Bands is crucial.

Following Through

Once the Band has approved student-funding applications, it is crucial that the students follow through on Band expectations. If they are required to submit progress reports and don’t their living allowance may be late or cancelled. If they are required to reapply every year, they must do so. It is really heartbreaking when continuing students miss application deadlines because they thought they were okay throughout their whole education.

Students also need to be aware of how long their sponsorship letters for tuition and books last. Some Bands approve funding for a year at a time; some only for a semester at a time. Make sure that students know when to request and file a new sponsorship letter.

Another thing to bear in mind is that many institutions have mandatory health plans for students. Usually Status Indian students can opt out of these plans by showing their status card to the plan administrator but there are time deadlines for doing this. If students do not opt out in time, their Bands may refuse to pay the premium and the students’ education may be put in jeopardy. Please make sure that affected students are aware of this.

Application Checklist

Letter of request/intent
Previous transcripts
Information about program content and objectives
Length of program (short-term and long-term)
Tuition/books costs
Acceptance letter from institution (or promise to provide acceptance letter when it becomes available)
Completed application form.

Student Responsibility Checklist

Providing proof of registration to the Band
Ensuring that sponsorship has been received each term
Opting out of mandatory medical plans
Providing progress reports when requested
Reapplying for funding on time each year.

Band Funding Policies

Band funding policies vary. The following information is based on funding policies that many Bands are following and can be helpful to you. Please, DO NOT assume that all Bands’ policies fall within these guidelines. It is very important to request a copy of individual Band policies.

Most Bands require that students take a minimum course load (usually 4 courses/12 credits) in order to receive a living allowance while they attend school. Under special circumstances, students may be given permission to take 3 courses (9credits) per semester, as long as they take 4 or 5 courses the next semester. Bands may also allow students to take a reduced course load if they are facing health, personal or family constraints. It is important for students to communicate with their Bands directly to ensure they are honouring the Band policy.

Students who are pursuing a degree need to inform their Bands about what timelines they will be looking at. For example:

A Bachelor's degree in Social Work is considered a 4 year degree and will take four years (or 32 months) to complete if the student is finishing 5 courses per semester or 10 courses per year. If the student takes 4 courses per semester, it will take 40 months to complete this degree.

A Bachelor of Education is considered a 5 year degree and will take five years (or 40 months) to complete if the student is finishing 5 courses per semester or 10 courses per year. If student takes 4 courses per semester, it will take 48 months to complete this degree.

Bands generally will fund students for 40 months to complete a 4-year degree and 48 months to complete a 5-year degree. Bands that fund graduate degrees will usually provide 24 months of full support.

For students who want to study on a part-time basis, most Bands will cover the cost of tuition and books only.

Métis Funding

Tuition, fees, books and supplies sponsorship may be available to Métis students through the Métis Provincial Council of British Columbia (MPCBC). Provincial criteria states that these students must provide Métis identification. This can be in the form of a photocopy of a Métis card issued by a Métis organization recognized by the MPCBC, a letter verifying Métis citizenship from a Métis local recognized by MPCBC, or a genealogy search provided by a verified genealogist.

Students apply through their Métis local. There are seven locals in British Columbia. Each has a representative who sits on the Employment and Training Committee, which is the decision-maker for Métis funding applications. Contact information can be found at http://www.mpcbc.bc.ca/.
Students will have to go through an application process. Students on Employment Insurance may be able to continue to receive EI benefits while training but decisions such as these must go through the Métis funder.

We suggest that you, as an Advisor, contact the Métis local in your area to obtain funding applications and further information.

Other Aboriginal Sources of Funding
There are some Aboriginal Human Resource Development Agreement (AHRDA) budgets allocated to assist students who are not able to access other sources of funding. Assistance usually covers only tuition, fees, supplies, and books. Eligible programs are certificate or diploma programs that take two years or less to complete. Please contact your local Band or most local Friendship Centre to see if any of these resources are in your community.

Employment Insurance (EI)

Students on Employment Insurance may be able to continue to receive EI benefits while doing short-term training but arrangements must be made prior to the training start date. Advise students to visit their local EI office to discuss questions about this source of assistance.

Social Assistance (SA)

Students on Social Assistance MAY be able to continue to receive SA benefits while doing non-student loan eligible short-term training or upgrading but this option is now very limited. Students must make arrangements with their worker or Training Consultant before starting on their education plan.

Student Loans

Students in post-secondary or career programs may be eligible for student loans if they do not have any other options. We suggest that you refer student loan applicants to Financial Aid offices. Also, there is an excellent website about student loans and other financial options at http://www.bcsap.bc.ca.

Scholarships and Bursaries
Students need to check out their eligibility for grants based on academic achievement (scholarships) and financial need (bursaries). See http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/edu/ep/pse-eng.asp for a good start.

Please see Appendix I for websites to seek this kind of funding.

Other Aspects of Financial Support
Following are other tasks and responsibilities you may need to take on in regards to Financial Support Service:

Provide students with long distance telephone access to request sponsorship from their Band or other funding agency.
Fax application packages to funders on behalf of students.
Send sponsorship forms to funding agencies. Receiving tuition sponsorship forms and recording them into your institution’s student records system at your institution or ensuring that they get to the accounting department within your institution. Keeping copies of these forms on file.
Send bookstore sponsorships forms to the appropriate bookstores. Keep copies of these forms on file.
Help students understand funders’ educational policies and procedures, and the institution’s policies and procedures that apply to funding.
Ensure that students are aware of the importance of following the above policies and procedures.
Write letters of support or conditional letters of acceptance to funding agencies on behalf of students.
Provide copies of Band policies and application forms to students and keep copies on file.
Build good relationships with Bands and other Aboriginal organizations that provide funding to students.
Assist students, when appropriate, to fill out Band or Métis application forms.
Provide progress report forms to students who need them.
Work with students who feel intimidated when dealing with their Bands. Students who have been dislocated from their home communities may feel very uncomfortable making requests or seeking answers from their Bands. You may support students like this by advocating on their behalf and teaching them how to respectfully advocate for themselves.
Provide information to Band education workers who may not have a lot of experience with post-secondary or post-secondary students. This is an excellent opportunity to do mutual teaching/learning processes.
Work with students to set up food banks and clothing exchanges.
Solicit donations from the local community to support students who have financial need.
Write letters to community organizations to solicit food vouchers and gift certificates.
Provide students with a letter supporting their fundraising.
Provide student names and identifying eligible students for college and university bursary and scholarships.
Maintain a file of bursary and scholarships that are available only to First Nations students and, when necessary, assisting students by writing letters of support and providing copies of grades.
Participate in the selection process for bursaries and scholarships.
Refer students for emergency loans and emergency services.
Maintain an information board advertising summer and post-graduate employment opportunities for students.
Encourage students to stay away from unnecessary debt with student loans. You may want to sit down with the student who is thinking of taking out a student loan in addition to his/her Band funding and costing out what his/her financial picture might look like for ten or twelve years after graduation.
Refer students to other funding sources such as the Financial Aid office, Human Resource Development Canada (HRDC), and Adult Basic Education Student Assistance Program, (ABESAP).
Communicate with social workers and other funding authorities on student’s behalf when requested to by the student.

TIP: Always ensure that you have a signed “Release of Information” form before providing any information to Bands or funding agencies about students. The Freedom of Information/Protection of Privacy Act requires employees of institutions to have written consent to provide information about a person to anybody. If you are working with Bands or other funding agencies that require registration or progress information about students you must have this document. For a sample of a Release of Information form see Appendix D, p 54.

Providing Cultural Support Services to Students

A major part of our role is to provide cultural support to students. The part of our job that requires us to provide a place of comfort and recognition to students nearly always has cultural aspects. This can be difficult. Not all Advisors have cultural knowledge or training. Not all Advisors work on their own territory. The students we serve come from many, many backgrounds. Some are very well grounded in cultural teachings; some have never been provided with any knowledge; and there are many in between. Moreover, we tend to serve students from many Nations with many different kinds of teachings and ceremonies, and we work in and are watched by the holders of the territories in which our institutions are located. Here are some points to consider:

Knowledge of local First Nations is crucial to your work. Visit the local people. You can start at the Band office if you don’t know anyone. Bring a gift to the Chief and tell him or her who you are and what kind of work you are doing in their territory. Ask for advice about how you can learn more about the local people and history.
Be friendly and respectful to those who are willing to be your teachers. Learn to be quiet about the things you should be quiet about and to ask permission before you share knowledge you have gained.
When speaking publicly always acknowledge the people of the local territory.
Learn about local politics if you can but stay neutral if there are any conflicts.
Honour the cultural differences that exist between Nations. They make us unique.
Share with students that knowledge around protocol issues is crucial.
Ask permission to build relationships with spiritual leaders in the community.
Seek out cultural teachers who are from other Nations or places. They too have much to share and they will help you be able to provide as much support to as many students as possible.
Make yourself visible in the community. Be prepared to attend and support First Nations’ events in the community, both formally and informally.
Conduct yourself with honour. The community watches.
Also treat yourself with honour. Remember who YOU are, that you are a cultural and spiritual being and your knowledge and practices and beliefs are your teachings. You are not less than those who have greater cultural knowledge and you are not more than those who have had less opportunity for learning than you. Keep open to teachings and they will come.

When you have done your learning you will be better prepared to provide cultural support to students. Important aspects of doing this are:

Honor the diversity within our Nations.
Understand and act on First Nations protocols.
Be aware of cultural events that are going on in the community and encouraging students to attend.
Know where students can access cultural activities such as sweats and healing ceremonies.
Bring students to cultural activities upon request and when appropriate.
Connect students with cultural people in the community upon request and when appropriate.
Provide guidance and cultural support upon request and when appropriate.
Facilitate talking and healing circles upon request.
Direct students to medicines needed for prayer and smudging.
Facilitating or arranging drumming and singing workshops or gatherings.
Encourage students to explore their own cultural backgrounds.
Work to create cultural awareness and sensitivity within your immediate department and within the institution.
Work with your institution’s Aboriginal student group to organize socials, fundraisers, and awareness days.
Be prepared to advise students on who they should invite to certain functions.
Provide guidance to students on local protocol issues and ensuring that local protocol is followed when your institution is involved.
Provide students with contacts in the community for taking care of their spiritual needs while they are studying.
Work with student unions or councils to organize and maintain First Nations’ student organizations that can work with you on cultural issues.

Other Important Connections with Community

You need to stay connected with community if you wish to provide wholistic support services to students. Here are some strategies you may use to do this:

Develop contacts within the local First Nations community at Band offices and other First Nations or Aboriginal organizations and services.
Visit with those contacts to provide updates about changes in your institution.
If time and budget permits, keep the community informed about important dates and upcoming events at your institution by producing a newsletter.
Participate in external First Nations’ education-related committees such as advisory committees or agency boards
If time permits, attend high school leadership classes to make connections with youth.
Involve the community in events at your institution.
Liaise with First Nations counselors in secondary schools and education coordinators within Bands.

Try to involve the community, as much as you can, in decision-making processes for your department and your institution. This supports the on-going work of the Advisory Council that supports your work. Treat them with honour.

Attributes that benefit Advisors

Excellent advocacy and conflict resolution skills.
Strong writing skills.
Knowledge of the BC post-secondary system
Computer literacy.
Ability to facilitate workshops and meetings.
A degree or at least two years of post-secondary education.
Knowledge of the institution’s program base and services system.
Academic counseling experience.
A good sense of humor.
Compassion.
Humility.
Good organizational skills.
Ability to challenge your own biases and beliefs.
Ability to keep one’s personal life and professional life separate.
Excellent leadership skills.
Skills and knowledge of how to deal with racism and harassment issues.
Ability and willingness to make referrals when necessary.
Ability to set boundaries.
Ability to maintain detailed student files.

Strong ethical and professional values.

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Acknowledgements - Introduction - Advisor's Role - Coordinator's Role - Dual Responsibilities - Resources