The Aurora College and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment continue to work together on a regular basis to review programs that are offered at three of our campuses, as well as our community learning centres, and we continually work to support and improve programs and student outcomes throughout those three campuses as well as our community learning centres. I'm going to continue to do that work and work together to make sure that we have the best interests of our students and our education in the Northwest Territories.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome and recognize all the students in the nursing program, as well as the social work program; in particular, Amber-Joy Gruben, who is from Inuvik and is taking the nursing program. Welcome, and I hope you guys had a good visit to the Legislative Assembly and had a good tour. Thank you, Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There was a delay in the contract, but we want to make sure that we do this review the best way we can for the residents of the Northwest Territories so that they have access to the best education possible. It is the responsibility of this government. Our next steps outlining will help us create a long-term solution for post-secondary education in the Northwest Territories.

As I mentioned yesterday, when some of these questions were coming by, the Student Financial Assistance Program must abide by the act and regulations when determining a student's eligibility. Here, with Aurora College, there is an upgrading component to the access programs at Aurora College. That program still provides courses that are at a post-secondary level, which allows students to qualify for SFA and further their education.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Member's concerns, as well as his interest in the support of post-secondary education programming, as well as our Student Financial Assistance program. In determining a student's eligibility for funding, Student Financial Assistance cannot take into consideration any courses that are considered upgrading, as they are not a post-secondary course.

However, if a student is enrolled in a full course load at post-secondary level, the student can enrol in additional classes that may be considered upgrading. In situations like this, Mr. Speaker, it is important...

Anyone knows that, when you are going through a procurement or a contract, it does take time. This is the same thing. We want to make sure we do it right, and we want to make sure that our students have the best opportunity for the best services and programs in post-secondary education, and we are committed to that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I mentioned, we want to make sure we do this review right and that we get the best possible report moving forward to provide the best education for the residents of the Northwest Territories. We appreciate committee's input into this.

The purpose of the SFA program is to assist with the costs of obtaining a post-secondary education. Students who wish to get funding might want to look into pursuing some of our access programs or look at the ways of getting other avenues of potential funding that I had mentioned earlier. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

There are other avenues of potential funding for students who want to get into upgrading or adult basic learning. Obviously, there are income assistance and labour market programs. There are university and college entrance programs, known as UCEPP, administered by the Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs. There is also ASETS, which is Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy, administered by Aboriginal governments.

Students who apply for SFA for an upgrading program are issued a denial letter which advises them of alternative sources of funding, and as I mentioned, any...

Mr. Speaker, our government has a responsibility to make sure that Northwest Territories residents have access to the best education programs possible. We owe it to our students to give them programs that are well designed, up to date, and position them to go into the kinds of jobs that employers are looking to fill. We also owe it to our young people to make sure that the system and institutions through which we deliver education programs are managed efficiently and effectively and that the chains of responsibility among all the decision makers are absolutely clear.

As Members will recall...