Deadline: 15-May-25
Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)’s High-Cost Special Education Program helps eligible First Nations students with high-cost special education needs to access quality programs and services that are culturally sensitive and reflective of generally accepted provincial or territorial standards.
Objective
- The objective of the High-Cost Special Education Program is to improve the educational achievement levels of First Nations students on reserve. The program provides access to quality and culturally-sensitive special education programs and services to:
- enable students with moderate to profound high-cost special education needs to achieve their fullest potential
- increase the number of special needs students acquiring a high school diploma or a certificate of completion
Funding Information
- The maximum amount payable per student per year will not exceed $155,000 and will depend on availability of funding and on high-cost special education needs defined in each student IEP.
Expected Results
- The expected results of this program are to:
- increase the number of students with high-cost special education needs that will acquire a high school diploma or a certificate of completion
- provide support services to high-cost special needs students as identified in their IEP
- Recognizing that students with high-cost special education needs may not achieve the same academic objectives as students without high-cost special education needs, the goals set out in an IEP measures a student’s ability to meet or exceed their educational goals and demonstrate progression towards a high school diploma or a certificate of completion.
Who can apply?
- Eligible recipients of the High-Cost Special Education Program funding are service providers such as:
- First Nations and First Nations organizations including those in Yukon or Northwest Territories
- First Nations-mandated organizations designated by First Nations as service providers including:
- not-for-profit organizations
- for-profit organizations
- private education institutions and organizations designated to deliver childhood education programming to eligible students ordinarily living on reserve
- provincial ministries of education
- provincial school boards or school board-like entities
- ederal schools
- funding agreement managers and recipient appointed advisors in accordance with ISC Default Prevention and Management Policy
- For-profit organizations, such as academic institutions, may be eligible for funding provided the nature and intent of the activity:
- is non-commercial
- is not intended to generate profit
- supports program priorities and objectives
- is publicly available at no cost
- Eligible participants: students
- To qualify as an eligible participant, the following criteria must be met:
- student’s age is from 4 and above by December 31 of the school year in which funding support is required
- enrolled and participating in an education program in a First Nations, federal, provincial or a private or independent school recognized by the province in which the school is located as an elementary or secondary institution. This includes program delivery through e-learning, alternative or outreach and early learning programs hosted in Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve or early learning centres
- an IEP must be in place or being created when a student has been identified by the school administration or a team of experts as having high-cost special education needs. The IEP must map the student’s progress during the school year
- the student is ordinarily resident on reserve
- a student who is ordinarily resident on reserve lands that are leased is not eligible for funding unless that student is a registered under the Indian Act
- To qualify as an eligible participant, the following criteria must be met:
For more information, visit Government of Canada.