Should Algonquin College offer Indigenous students free tuition?

Algonquin College should consider following a local university’s lead in offering free tuition to First Nations students, a professor says.

On May 6, the University of Ottawa announced that federally recognized members of the Algonquin First Nations can now enrol free of tuition fees.

The University of Ottawa is the fourth university in Canada to offer free tuition to Indigenous students, with Humber College in Toronto being the only college to do so, according to Humber’s website.

Algonquin College declined to say if it would also offer free tuition to students from Algonquin First Nations communities. However, in an emailed statement, the college highlighted its commitment to helping Indigenous students.

“We are continually exploring new ways to enhance access and inclusion, and we value ongoing dialogue with our Indigenous community partners as part of that commitment,” the college said.

The college also offers various financial assistance programs to Indigenous students.

The college has five scholarships, 15 bursaries and four awards that are exclusively for Indigenous learners, as well as nine bursaries and two other awards that give them special consideration. Indigenous women can also apply for the “We Saved You a Seat” entrance awards for women in the STEM fields, according to the college’s website.

But is it enough?

Robert-Falcon Ouellette, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa who specializes in Indigenous education, believes the college should consider following the university’s lead.

“As an institution situated on unceded Algonquin territory, there is both a unique opportunity and a responsibility to support Indigenous learners in a tangible way,” Ouellette said in an email.

The term “unceded” refers to the fact there is no formal treaty between the Algonquin people and Canada.

Ouellette says the University of Ottawa’s decision on tuition is a “significant act of reconciliation.”

“Historically, education in Canada was used as a tool to assimilate and erase Indigenous identities and cultures,” Ouellette said. “Residential schools, often staffed by teachers trained through colonial systems, played a central role in this. So, when a university takes concrete steps to support Indigenous learners, it is not just policy — it is part of a larger healing journey.”