Millennium Research Program

Last updated April 24, 2019

The Millennium Research Program of the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation was launched in 2001 to assist the Foundation in carrying out its mandate to improve access to post-secondary education in Canada and provide students with the educational opportunities they need to prepare themselves for the future. The Research Program advances the study of barriers to post-secondary education and the impact of policies and programs designed to alleviate them. It ensures that policy-making and public discussion about opportunities in higher education in Canada can be informed by rigorous analysis and empirical evidence.

The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation was a private, independent organization created by an act of the Parliament of Canada in 1998. It received an initial endowment of $2.5 billion from the federal government to provide awards annually for ten years. The foundation distributed $325 million in the form of bursaries and scholarships each year throughout Canada in support of post-secondary education. As well, the foundation conducted research into post-secondary access, via the Millennium Research Program.

Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and postsecondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education. The World Bank, for example, defines tertiary education as including universities as well as trade schools and colleges. Higher education is taken to include undergraduate and postgraduate education, while vocational education beyond secondary education is known as further education in the United Kingdom, or continuing education in the United States.

Over the years the millennium research program, through its numerous publications, has contributed to the discussion on the issue of access to post-secondary education. The most notable of these publications is the Price of Knowledge. It provides analysis of key trends and new data relating to access to post-secondary education, student finances and financial assistance programs. The third and most recent edition was published in 2007.

Objectives

The principal objectives of the Program are:

To increase understanding of the key barriers to access to and participation in post-secondary education and of the relative effectiveness of policies that might alleviate them
To provide the data and analysis necessary to monitor the impact of the Foundation’s bursaries and awards (including their interaction with other forms of student financial assistance) and to guide the development of new programs
To act as a catalyst to research on post-secondary education opportunities within the wider research and policy communities by disseminating the results of studies, convening research conferences, facilitating the creation of new data sources, promoting the development of innovative research methodologies, and creating new research partnerships
To raise awareness among citizens and policy-makers of issues relating to post-secondary education opportunities and of the implications for public policy of the latest research on student financial aid and access to post-secondary education.

Public policy is the principled guide to action taken by the administrative executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues, in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs.

Means

These objectives are carried out through the following means:

Through the publication of The Price of Knowledge, the Foundation’s comprehensive fact book that reports and analyzes trends relating to post-secondary education access and student finance. The book presents the latest information on post-secondary education, participation, barriers to access, the cost of post-secondary education, the mechanisms for financing post-secondary education including all sources of student financial aid, the incidence and magnitude of student debt, government expenditures on post-secondary education, and graduate employment and earnings. The first edition was published in 2002, and the second in 2004.
Through the commissioning and publication of an extensive series of research reports, under the heading Does Money Matter? The Millennium Research Series. The reports make a substantive original contribution to knowledge about factors affecting access to post-secondary education and the impact of public policies designed to promote educational opportunity. Approximately ten separate reports are published each year.
Through the commissioning and publishing of other occasional reports or studies relating to post-secondary education access and student finance in Canada, including quantitative and qualitative studies of the attitudes of students and parents towards post-secondary education and their behaviour in terms of preparing for college or university.
Through the initiation and management, in partnership with participating provinces, of several intensive studies of the relative effectiveness and efficiency of different types of early interventions designed to encourage greater participation in post-secondary education among targeted groups of students (particularly those from less economically privileged backgrounds). These research "pilot projects" involve the creation and support of interventions directed at students and their families over a period of five years and the scientific evaluation of their outcomes. The goal is to help policy-makers identify which type or combination of interventions can be expected to produce the best results in terms of promoting access to higher education from traditionally under-represented groups.
Through the hosting of national research and policy conferences that bring together leading Canadian and international experts on issues relating to educational opportunities and student financial aid, in order to discuss the latest research findings, establish research priorities, assess the performance of current programs, and build capacity within the wider research and policy community.
Through the provision of statistical reports and analyses of the impact of the foundation's millennium bursaries and excellence awards to the foundation's management, board of directors, board of members, external stakeholders and the public.

The Program’s research publications are vetted by a review panel of experts.

Themes

The Program’s work has touched on a broad range of subjects that can be grouped under the following research themes:

Access to Post-Secondary Education in Canada, with a focus on who participates in post-secondary education, who does not, and why. Studies address such topics as the current make-up of the student body, the costs of and means of paying for post-secondary education, the availability of student financial assistance, the extent of student debt, the impact of tuition policy, and the effectiveness of other policies and interventions designed to enhance access. Special attention is paid to the issue of the equality of educational opportunity and the experiences of different groups of the population, such as Aboriginal youth or students from disadvantaged economic backgrounds. Studies also address the issue of access from a wider perspective that looks at how the overall economic, social and cultural context in which children and families develop affects the desire and the ability of students to pursue college or university studies.
Preparing for Post-Secondary Education, with a focus on whether students, families and schools have the information, academic support and financial means necessary to adequately plan and prepare for successful entry into post-secondary education. Studies – included most notably the Foundation’s pilot projects – examine how decision-making about post-secondary education, especially within families whose children are less likely to attend college or university, is influenced by different factors including the availability of academic support, financial support and of information about the costs, benefits, and means of financing post-secondary education.

Student loans can be used to meet financial need of students in higher education when personal resources, grants, and scholarships are insufficient for the cost of attendance. A student's debt is the sum of the amount borrowed and interest accrued minus payments made. While several countries offer students loans of various types, the size of student debt in the US has increased to what some consider crisis levels.

When possible, the Foundation’s research incorporates in a comparative dimension that allows for relevant evidence from other countries to be brought to bear the discussion of the situation in Canada.

External links

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

Related Research Articles

A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an “open enrollment” for students who have graduated from high school. The term usually refers to a higher educational institution that provides workforce education and college transfer academic programs. Some institutions maintain athletic teams and dormitories similar to their university counterparts.

Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Educational methods include storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and directed research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators and also learners may also educate themselves. Education can take place in formal or informal settings and any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. The methodology of teaching is called pedagogy.

Upward Bound is a federally funded educational program within the United States. The program is one of a cluster of programs now referred to as TRiO, all of which owe their existence to the federal Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 and the Higher Education Act of 1965. Upward Bound programs are implemented and monitored by the United States Department of Education. The goal of Upward Bound is to provide certain categories of high school students better opportunities for attending college. The categories of greatest concern are those with low income, those with parents who did not attend college, and those living in rural areas. The program works through individual grants, each of which covers a restricted geographic area and provides services to approximately 59,000 students annually. The program focuses on academic and nonacademic resources and activities like visits to museums or tutoring for school work. Students are encouraged to be involved in Upward Bound for the entire academic year and a 6-week long summer program. Many students who are also granted access into the Upward Bound program are labeled as first generation college students, who are students that are the first in their family to attend college. This program is set in place for students who come from low income families as well as underrepresented schools and gives them an opportunity to excel in college.

Indspire, until 2012 the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF), is a nationally registered charitable organization dedicated to raising funds to deliver programs that provide the tools necessary for Indigenous peoples in Canada, especially youth to achieve their potential.

The Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research Inc. (GDI) was formally incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1980, to serve the educational and cultural needs of the Saskatchewan Métis and Non-Status Indian community. The Institute is designated as the official education arm of the Métis Nation—Saskatchewan (MN-S). GDI offers a variety of accredited educational, vocational, and skills training opportunities for the province's Métis in partnership with the University of Regina, the University of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, the province's various regional colleges, and Service Canada.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was passed as a part of United States President Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty" and has been the most far-reaching federal legislation affecting education ever passed by the United States Congress. The act was an extensive statute that funded primary and secondary education. It also emphasizes equal access to education and establishes high standards and accountability.

The Maryland School of Public Policy is one of 14 schools at the University of Maryland, College Park. The school is located inside the Capital Beltway and ranks 16th nationally for schools of public policy according to U.S. News & World Report (2012).

Higher education in Canada describes the constellation of provincial higher education systems in Canada and their relationships with tent of federal government, provinces, and territories.

Higher education in Quebec differs from the education system of other provinces in Canada. Instead of entering university or college directly from high school, students in Quebec leave secondary school after Grade 11, and enter post-secondary studies at the college level, as a prerequisite to university. Although both public colleges (CEGEPs) and private colleges exist, both are colloquially termed CEGEPs. This level of post-secondary education allows students to choose either a vocational path or a more academic path.

Higher education in Manitoba traces the development and expansion of higher education in the Canadian province of Manitoba. In Canada, education is a provincial concern and there is no national regulation nor accrediting body.

Higher education in Alberta refers to the post secondary education system for the province of Alberta. The Ministry of Advanced Education in Alberta oversees educational delivery through universities, publicly funded colleges, technical institutions, and private colleges. These institutions offer a variety of academic and vocational pursuits. Students have access to post-secondary options through most regions of Alberta, and a developed articulation system allows for increased student mobility.

Higher education in Yukon is shaped by the territory's small population in a relatively large geographic area. The history of higher education went hand in hand with the establishment of a representative territorial government in 1979. Yukon School of Visual Arts and Yukon College are the only two higher education institutions in Yukon. Yukon College issues certificate, diploma, and partial and some full degree programs. The college is a community college and as a result it provides in addition to its academic and professional program, Adult Basic Education/literacy programs.

Higher education in Nova Scotia refers to education provided by higher education institutions. In Canada, education is the responsibility of the provinces and there is no Canadian federal ministry governing education. Nova Scotia has a population of less than one million people, but is home to ten public universities and the Nova Scotia Community College, which offers programs at 13 locations.

Vincent Tinto is an award-winning Distinguished University Professor at Syracuse University of sociology. He is a noted theorist in the field of higher education, particularly concerning student retention and learning communities.

Originally created as the Bureau of the Education of the Handicapped, the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is part of the U.S. Department of Education. OSEP provides leadership and support for professionals working with children with disabilities. Another critical role of OSEP is to protect the educational rights of children with disabilities from age three through twenty-one. OSEP is supervised by the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Education through the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).

Keith M Lewin is a British Professor of International education and Development at the University of Sussex and Director of the Consortium for Research on Educational Access, Transitions and Equity (CREATE). He is known for his work in educational planning, economics and finance of education, teacher education, assessment, science and technology education policy in developing countries, educational aid and program evaluation. He has been adviser to various governmental, multilateral and non-profit organisations on education planning and policy, including the World Bank, DFID, UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning, UNICEF, UNDP, AusAID and others. His country experience includes projects in Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and China.

Seven Generations Education Institute (SGEI) is an Aboriginal-owned and controlled post-secondary institution co-founded by the ten bands in the Rainy Lake Tribal area in 1985. The ten bands are: Big Grassy, Big Island, Couchiching, Lac La Croix, Naicatchewenin, Nigigoonsiminikaaning, Ojibways of Onigaming, Rainy River, Seine River and Mitaanjigamiing. Each of the ten bands appointed one member to a Board of Directors of Seven Generations Education Institute, which functions with the leadership of the Executive Director.

Ashton College is a private, post-secondary educational institution, with campuses located in Vancouver and Abbotsford in British Columbia, Canada. The college serves both domestic and international students, with a focus on adult learners and career-ready education. Ashton College specializes in training students for careers in business, finance, immigration consulting, human resources, health care, human services and other professional fields.