Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. today announced that two staff were hired to help administer the Personal Education Credit program. Donna Adams and Paul Sammurtok were hired to assist former residential school students in Nunavut access the program.

The Personal Education Credit program is part of the federal government’s Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. All former residential school students who received the Common Experience Payment between 2007 and 2012 will be eligible to access and use the Personal Education Credit. Crawford Class Action Services will send former students the program application forms in the mail. There are 2,600 Nunavut Inuit eligible for the Personal Education Credit, including Inuit who live outside of Nunavut.

The one-time Personal Education Credit of $3,000 per student will not be in the form of cash or cheques, but in the form of credit to an institution where a former student wishes to attend for educational purposes. Former residential school students from Nunavut may use this credit for post-secondary education programs, as well as for the study of Inuit history, culture and language programs and courses.

Adams and Sammurtok will help former students fill out the forms and better understand and access the large number of options available under the Personal Education Credit program. The program was implemented Jan. 1, 2014. Former students have until October 31 to submit their Acknowledgement Forms and until Dec. 1, 2014, to redeem the credit.

Adams can be reached at NTI in Rankin Inlet at 1-888-236-5400. Sammurtok will be based in Iqaluit and can be reached at 1-888-646-0006.