Post-Secondary Education Program — Formal Appeal Process

Education, Training and Research (ETR), is committed to administering the Post-Secondary Education Program in a fair, consistent and transparent manner.

Applicants who receive an unsuccessful funding decision may request a formal appeal where they believe the published program criteria or application process were incorrectly applied to their application.

An appeal is a review of the original funding decision based on the application and documentation that was submitted within the established application timelines. An appeal is not a new application and does not guarantee funding.

Grounds for Appeal

An applicant may appeal a funding decision where they believe:

• their application met the published eligibility requirements;
• all required documentation was submitted within the established deadline;
• information or documentation submitted on time was overlooked or incorrectly assessed;
• their completed credits, year of study, enrolment status or other eligibility information was incorrectly assessed; or
• ETR incorrectly applied its published PSE criteria or application process to their application.

Decisions That Cannot Be Overturned Through Appeal

An appeal will not result in funding where:

• the applicant did not meet the published eligibility requirements;
• required documentation was not submitted by the applicable deadline;
• the applicant’s program or studies were not eligible under the published criteria;
• the applicant had not completed the required credits or academic-year requirements;
• information required to establish eligibility was incomplete or could not be verified;
• the application was received outside the established application period; or
• the applicant is otherwise eligible, but the PSE funding allocation available for that application cycle has been fully committed or exhausted.

Funding through the PSE Program is limited. Eligibility does not create an entitlement to funding, and submitting a complete application does not guarantee funding.

New Documentation

The appeal process is intended to determine whether the original decision was made correctly based on the information available when the application was assessed.

New documentation will not normally be accepted to correct an incomplete application after the application or documentation deadline.

An exception may be made where the applicant can demonstrate that the document was submitted to ETR within the required timeline but was not recorded, attached to the file or considered during the original assessment.

How to Submit an Appeal

Applicants must submit a written appeal by email within 15 calendar days of the date of their funding decision.

The appeal must include:

1. the applicant’s full name and application/file number;
2. the funding decision being appealed;
3. the specific reason the applicant believes the decision was incorrect; and
4. identification of the information or documentation already submitted that supports the appeal.

Appeals should be submitted to ETR-PSE@metis.org with the subject line PSE Funding Appeal – [Applicant Name].

Appeal Review

The appeal will be reviewed by a designated ETR manager who was not responsible for making the original funding decision.

The reviewer will consider:

• the application as originally submitted;
• documentation received within the established timelines;
• the PSE criteria in effect for that application cycle;
• the assessment and decision recorded on the applicant’s file; and
• the availability of PSE funding.

The reviewer may consult program staff or request clarification where necessary but will independently determine whether the original decision was consistent with the published program requirements.

Appeal Decisions

Following the review, the decision will be one of the following:

Decision Upheld — The original decision was consistent with the published PSE criteria and application requirements.

Decision Reconsidered — An administrative or assessment error occurred and the application will be reassessed.

Where an appeal is successful, funding remains subject to the availability of PSE program funds. A successful appeal confirms that the original decision should be reconsidered; it does not create an entitlement to funding where the annual PSE allocation has been fully committed.

Applicants will receive the written appeal decision by email, including the reason for the decision.

The appeal decision is final at the local level. Appeals cannot be submitted to Indigenous Services Canada.