A new joint program between the University of British Columbia and Langara College offers aboriginal people a different pathway into the University's faculty of arts.

The UBC-Langara Aboriginal Transfer Program, a partnership between the University's Vancouver campus and Langara, offers aboriginal students a guaranteed spot in the University of British Columbia's (UBC) faculty of arts and scholarships for 10 students* at Langara for $1,000 and unlimited students at UBC for $7,500.

"This program is designed to provide Aboriginal students the support they need to successfully transition to UBC and excel in their studies," reads a statement from Linc Kesler, UBC’s senior advisor to the president on aboriginal affairs, in a press release issued by the University this morning.

According to the program's website, eligible students must complete one to two years of studies at Langara, including completing at least 50 per cent of the College's Aboriginal Plus Program, which aims to prepare students for post-secondary "through workshops, extracurricular events, and support from Aboriginal faculty and staff at both institutions," and maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.25.

Scholarships will be rewarded to students who have completed 24 credits at Langara and retained a grade point average of 2.67 or higher. The site also notes that "Normally, recipients must have received an Aboriginal Transfer first-year scholarship award," which range from $1,500 to $2,500 and require a GPA of 3.33 or higher.

According to the UBC website, the cost of tuition, books, and student fees for a full first-year course load is $7,657. The website's cost of living calculator estimates additional expenses range from as high as $11,277 for students living in a single room on campus to as low as $2,932 for those who stay home.

The press release notes that UBC has more than $600,000 in additional scholarships for aboriginal students and that the number of* new self-identifying aboriginal undergraduate students enrolled at the University has doubled since 2008 to more than 1,000. In turn Langara, which has a population of 8,550 students, claims over 350 of them self-identify as aboriginal.

The Tyee contacted the First Nations Education Steering Committee for comment on the program, but they were not available to speak before deadline.

*Corrected on Oct. 1, at 8:35 a.m.

Katie Hyslop reports on youth and education issues for The Tyee. Follow her on Twitter @kehyslop.