Indigenous students study their languages free at Brandon

What changed?

Indigenous students at Brandon University (BU) in Manitoba, Canada, can now study their own languages at no charge. The university’s Board of Governors passed the tuition fee waiver unanimously in January 2026. It launched in fall 2026, and the first students are now taking part.

Which languages are covered?

The waiver covers the official Indigenous languages recognised under Manitoba’s Aboriginal Languages Recognition Act that BU offers. There are seven:

• Ininew (Cree)
• Anishinaabemowin (Ojibway)
• Ansihininiimowin (Oji-Cree)
• Dene Suline (Dene)
• Dakota
• Michif
• Inuktitut

BU does not currently offer full instruction in all seven, but it offers many of them on a rotating basis. This year it is running Michif courses, with Cree planned for the spring semester.

Why did the university do this?

BU’s Indigenous initiatives lead said many Indigenous languages are at risk. BU President Christine Bovis-Cnossen called the waiver “an act of Reconciliation”. She said educational institutions played a role in settler colonialism, including punishing children for speaking Indigenous languages in school.

The university says the waiver responds directly to commitments in the Manitoba Indigenous Education Blueprint. It announced the launch during a week of events around the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on 30 September.

Who benefits?

Indigenous students make up 17 per cent of BU’s students and are its fastest-growing group, the university says. In 1975, BU became the first university in western Canada to set up a Native Studies department.

What we do not know yet

The university has not said how many students are using the waiver or what it costs. It has not published detailed eligibility rules, such as whether fees beyond tuition are covered. Only Michif is being taught this term.