Under the Residential Schools Settlement Agreement, there is a provision to use the remaining funds of the Common Experience Payment Trust Fund toward the Personal Education Credit Program.

Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and other Aboriginal organizations are currently negotiating the terms and conditions of the Personal Education Credit Program with the federal government.

The one-time Personal Education Credit of $3,000 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.

To ensure the program is culturally appropriate and accessible to Nunavut Inuit, NTI is seeking input from former residential school students about how students would like to use this funding, and to determine which history, language and culture courses and programs should be eligible for funding.

Former students are asked to call NTI legal counsel Sandra Omik at (867) 975-4900 or 1-888-646-0006.

The credit will be transferrable to family members if former residential school students are unable to use the Personal Education Credit. This program is available to all former residential school students who received the Common Experience Payment.

The Personal Education Credit Program is scheduled to run Sept. 19, 2012 – Jan. 1, 2015.