Aurora College delays early learning and childcare admissions

Many Aurora College programs began recruiting 2026-27 applicants on November 1, but one is missing: early learning and childcare.

The college told staff last week that applications for the early learning and childcare certificate and diploma programs won’t open until early 2026.

“The application form is not available at this time. Please check back later,” anyone trying to reach the early learning and childcare programs’ application form on the Aurora College website is told.

Confirming the move to Cabin Radio, college president Angela James said those programs must undergo “revisions” as the funding available to run them has dropped from $1.4 million annually to $600,000.

As a result, the college cannot commit to exactly how the programs will look for 2026-27. (At the moment, you can take the one-year certificate or two-year diploma either in person at the Yellowknife campus or part-time online.)

Several dozen people are understood to be enrolled in each of the in-person and distance-learning programs, though James did not have precise numbers to hand.

“We’re working all together to ensure what are the next steps, and also continuing to seek out other funding sources,” James said.

Aurora College receives some annual funding from the federal and territorial governments dedicated to its early learning and childcare programs. The college also has significant control over how it allocates its base funding from the GNWT between different programs.

However, the NWT’s Department of Education, Culture and Employment confirmed to Cabin Radio that one funding agreement related to a “time-limited pilot project” ended earlier this year.

“ECE is actively discussing future funding of Aurora College programs as it transforms into a polytechnic university and this includes consideration for the delivery of early learning and childcare programming,” the department stated.

James said the end of the pilot project meant more than half of the overall program’s funding had been lost and necessitated extra time – and a delay to admissions – while the college comes up with a new plan.

“They left with us the $600,000,” she said of the GNWT, “so our job, of course, is to deal with that impact and make the appropriate decisions, especially to ensure that we are not only being academically responsible, but also fiscally responsible.”

There appeared to be ongoing uncertainty at the college regarding the precise status of the programs.

James initially said only the distance-learning program was affected before later confirming that all early learning and childcare admissions are being pushed back.

On Monday, after this article was first published, Aurora College contacted Cabin Radio to say James “misspoke” and the remaining cash for the ELCC programs is actually $800,000 annually, not $600,000.

James said she believes the delay will have a minimal impact on admissions as many applicants already wait until the spring each year before sending in their forms.

“Our early learning and childcare program, of course, is integral to the early learning education system,” James said.

“We’re in the process of doing some revisions for the ELCC program, and so that opening is delayed up until the spring of 2026 and at that time, then we’ll be able to provide more information.”

The college, in a Monday email after this article was published, said James had been wrong to use the phrase “spring 2026” and applications are more likely to open in January or early February.