Aurora College delays admissions for early learning and child care after pilot funding expires

Aurora College in the N.W.T. is delaying admissions for its early learning and child care program until sometime next year, and blaming it on expired funding from a pilot program.

The territorial government, however, says that although that specific pilot funding ran out in 2025, the college receives base funding that it could use instead.

In 2021, the department of Education, Culture and Employment (ECE) provided the college $800,000 in federal funding to support workforce development. This is on top of additional federal and territorial funding the college receives for delivering the post-secondary program as part of the federal strategy to improve child care.

“Since 2021, ECE has continued to provide funding annually to offset costs associated with delivering Aurora College’s ELCC [early learning and child care] program and in 2025-2026 this funding will be $800,000,” Agata Gutkowska, a spokesperson for ECE, wrote in an email to CBC news. 

"The amount of available funding has been communicated clearly and consistently from ECE to Aurora College since 2020," the email reads.

The department declined an interview with CBC News.

CBC News also requested an interview with Aurora College president Angela James. She responded by email instead.

Asked why the college's base funding was not used to prioritize early learning and child care, James said the program is "a priority," but said the college also has "a number of existing programs that do not receive base funding.”

“For the 2025-2026 academic year, funds have already been shifted from other areas to offset the reduction in funding and ensure that there were few impacts to current students in the program, but that is not sustainable,” James wrote.

James says the college needs an additional $600,000 annually to continue the program as it has been run.

James says there are 60 students now enrolled in the program. She says they will be supported to complete the program with “as few impacts as possible."

James wrote in an email that the program will take applications again at some point in 2026 but no specific date was provided. The delay in admissions was first reported by Cabin Radio. 

James wrote that the college is considering some revisions “to the delivery schedule,” and that it's waiting to ensure students have all the relevant information before allowing applications.

She says they’re also looking at other funding sources.