More than $350,000 in provincial funding announced Friday is expected to help the University of Windsor attract more aboriginal students and boost their success once there.

"There's 40 to 50 per cent First Nation students who do not graduate high school. We have twice the dropout rate as compared to non-natives," the university's new aboriginal outreach co-ordinator Noami Williams said Friday.

"We want to encourage our students to come to post-secondary to gain a higher education and while they're here we want to support them."

Some of the money, $20,787, has been allocated to bursaries, $276,450 will go toward student support services, and $55,000 has been earmarked for improvements at the aboriginal education centre on Sunset Avenue, known as Turtle Island.

Williams, who is from Walpole Island and is a graduate of the University of Windsor, said she wants to reach out to high schools to encourage more aboriginal teens to seek post-secondary education. She started as the aboriginal outreach co-ordinator about a week ago.

Once at the university she wants to help the students adjust.

"They come from reserves and there can be somewhat of a culture shock," she said.

Williams said once aboriginal students are in university they do as well as other students. "While we are seeing an increase in the number of students attending post-secondary, we are still far behind."

Windsor West MPP Sandra Pupatello announced the funding Friday at the university's student centre and said it won't be a one-time grant. The provincial government is putting $26.4 million into aboriginal post-secondary education this year. Pupatello said there will be annual funding such as money for the aboriginal outreach co-ordinator's job.