Explaining Support for Post-Secondary Educational Funding for Indigenous Students

Abstract

Despite what some may believe, not all Aboriginal students in Canada receive free university education. Many applicants are denied this education opportunity because existing programs are chronically underfunded. The Post-Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) is one of such programs. It is financed by the Canadian government and aims to provide First Nations students with funding to access post-secondary education. Although there may be several reasons why this education problem persists, we examined one possibility – psychological barriers to support of Aboriginal education amongst the public. Specifically, we explored five factors: personal prejudice towards Aboriginal peoples, perceived social mobility, meritocratic beliefs, group-level zero-sum beliefs, and political conservatism. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that they would all negatively relate to support for the PSSSP. In a sample of Canadian adults, we found that only two of these factors (higher personal prejudice and political conservatism) uniquely explained less support for the program. Although correlational, this study provides insight into factors that may influence Canadians’ decisions about a potentially impactful opportunity for Aboriginal individuals, in this case, funding to attend university. We discuss the implications of these findings for continued PSSSP support as well as for other programs and policies targeted at marginalized groups.