Post-secondary institutions are constantly competing against one another for students but what sorts of concerns come to mind when regarding Canada's remote areas and schools located outside of major metropolitan areas?

Canada's remote communities
Perhaps the most remote population within Canada is the First Nations people. A 2005 BC Stats Infoline Report found that a non-Native person is five times more likely to have a university degree than a First Nations person living on reserve, and three times more likely than a First Nations person living off-reserve.
Additionally, the First Nations population represents the fastest-growing population in Canada. A 2006 Census tallied that the population grew by 45 per cent between 1996 and 2006'six times faster than the non-Native population. It is important to consider this population and the education gap that it faces.
This population faces several barriers to education, much more complex than that of a Canadian living in a remote area. First, reserve KÔÇô12 education is underfunded and inadequate, coupled with high First Nations drop-out rates; (a government study found that over 40 per cent of 20ÔÇô24 year olds did not have a high school diploma in 2006, but those living on-reserve were close to 60 per cent).
Another barrier, socioeconomic in nature, is First Nations people facing social discrimination, unemployment, and poverty. Many post-secondary institutions are not sensitive to First Nations traditions and values, offering an individualized and competitive nature of learning inconsistent with Native teachings.
All is not lost, however. Although slow to develop, there are Aboriginal-run post-secondary institutions located across Canada'about 45 of them.

Canada's remote post-secondary schools
Take a moment to consider at least three post-secondary schools.
Most likely, you considered the institutions located in the major urban areas, but what about schools situated in more remote communities? What would their competitive edge be? Today, there are several competitive advantages that remote schools are promoting.
Cambrian College in Sudbury, Ontario offers Cambrian Bucks for all ages who identify as Aboriginal, low-income, First Generation (the first within the family to attend post-secondary school), or has a disability. Cambrian College's Learning Account program allows those who qualify earn up to $5,000 to help pay for tuition, books, and other school expenses to use in any full-time program at the college. Student applicants have the opportunity to build their credit while still in elementary and secondary school.
Similarly, the provincial government of Alberta has created the Campus Alberta program. The program aims to provide Albertans access to affordable and quality learning opportunities with publicly funded post-secondary institutions.
College and universities across the world also offer distance education (online learning, or even radio and television broadcasts). Alberta is leading this trend by implementing eCampusAlberta, which uses online learning to provide easier access to learning for Albertans. Currently, 16 post-secondary schools provide access to over 800 online courses and 70 provincially-accredited online programs.
Schools are also partnering with one another through articulation or transfer agreements. These agreements enable universities to offer their programs on college campuses, or they allow for easier college-to-university credit transfers. Georgian College, for example, has partnered with half-a-dozen institutions to allow Georgian programs to be offered across the country and the world.
Essentially, as virtual and distance resource become more available and programs become more defined at each school, post-secondary institutions are pulling out all the stops to make sure they succeed, something that will change the post-secondary landscape considerably for both schools and students.

Angelina Attisano is the assistant web editor with jobpostings.ca. She graduated with a degree in communication studies from Laurentian University, as well as an advertising diploma from Georgian College. She enjoys reading and writing, and also spending time with her friends and family. In the future, she sees herself working in public relations or event planning.