NEws. Know the scoop or have a lead? Contact the editor at news @theotherpress.ca VIU waives tuition for youth formerly in government care Vancouver Island University takes lead role in accessible education By Patrick Vaillancourt, News Editor dministrators at Vancouver Island University (VIU) have announced plans to waive tuition fees for students who have previously been wards of the provincial government, starting in September 2013. The program is accessible to students who have been permanent wards of the province, a small percentage of the total number of youth in British Columbia’s child protection system. There are approximately 4,300 youth in BC who have been raised under a “continuing care order,” which is the legal term for youth in permanent government care. Janina Stajic, a spokesperson for VIU, insists that the university has not budgeted for the program, but is “waiting to see what the response is going to be.” VIU is the first BC post- secondary institution to offer this waiver, and follows similar efforts implemented at the University of Winnipeg and the public post-secondary system in Ontario. Some US states— specifically Utah, Texas, Oregon, Florida, and Arizona—already offer some assistance to young people formerly in government care. “VIU is proud to be the first university in BC to offer tuition waivers to qualifying youth in care,” says Dr. Ralph Nilson, VIU’s President and Vice Chancellor. “Tt’s critical that academic institutions take the lead on initiatives like this— initiatives aimed at ensuring as many people as possible can access post-secondary education and all of the opportunities, including employment opportunities, that are created through that experience.” The provincial government supports the VIU initiative to increase access to post- secondary studies for youth in care and will be providing some financial support to ensure the continued viability of the program. BC Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk encourages all “public post-secondary institutions to follow in [VIU’s] footsteps.” Groups representing the interests of youth in foster care or the government system strongly support the initiative implemented by VIU, and hope that other post-secondary institutions across the province follow suit. Lisa Mickleborough, the communications and project coordinator for the Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks, was unavailable for comment at press time, but stated in an email that the tuition waiver was “wonderful news.” A study from the University of Victoria showed that “While the majority of youth in BC complete high school, less than half of the youth in this study [“When Youth Age Out of Care—Where to from There?” | had finished high school by age 20 or 21.” Even fewer go on to post-secondary studies. The provincial government offers grants through the Youth Education Assistance Fund (YEAF), which allows wards of the province to access $5,500 per year for up to four years to assist with expenses associated with post-secondary education. The BC Ministry of Children and Family Development states that they dole out approximately 300 grants per year, but does not collect data on whether these students actually graduate from their post-secondary program. VIU says that the program is an important first step to improving their regional economy. “Many families in the regions VIU serves live below the poverty line,” says a VIU statement. The university believes that this program will increase access to education for approximately 900 youth, the majority of which are Aboriginal youth in care. Textbooks: the other tuition The relationship between students and their textbooks By Elliot Chan, Staff Reporter A Douglas College classrooms fill up for a new academic year, students are emptying out their wallets for the exact same reason. Regardless of how much students organize their educational finances, the textbook monopoly will take a big chunk out of their limited funds. It’s the way the game is played—but are textbooks a good investment, or are they simply a luxury tax? A 900-page burden, or an instructional baton waiting to be passed on to the next wary student seeking discounts? Postings for used textbooks cover the bulletin board on the first floor at the New Westminster campus. It’s obvious that most students have little intention of keeping their expensive textbooks for future reference. Students are simply doing what students do best— being obedient. “T want to spend as little as possible,” said third-year business student Haleen Mullhi. “But I'll end up spending between $300 and $400, 4 which adds up to $2,000 each semester.” Music and accounting have consistently produced some of the priciest textbooks in the store. But the bookstore itself only receives a 25 per cent margin, which Ryan Hill, bookstore supervisor, considers low. “We are retail, but we are also a service department in the college,” said Hill. “After covering shipping and overhead, the bookstore makes a low profit.” It’s not always easy to see the gain in textbooks when all you hear about are students trying to offload them and the bookstores accepting refunds. When asked whether or not she will sell her textbook at the end of semester, Mullhi confidently said, “Yes, I’ll post it out on the board and see if anyone wants them.” Students don’t have many options when the course is done. The textbooks age and become irrelevant, so even though they might not be studying marketing, they still have to be salespeople and attempt to make some money back while clearing off their bookshelves. Many consider open postings on the bulletin board, but be forewarned: although that option might feel like a free- for-all, it can also be a stressful bidding war. Buybacks are the alternative, but students often find the compromise of 10 per cent or less insulting—that’s if the bookstore even decides to take it back. “We don’t run any stats, so it is tough to say which program has the most textbooks returned,” said Hill. “It is all pretty balanced, because I believe most students have the same mentality—rather they have found another source or they dropped a class.” The current refund policy only allows for students to return their books in the first month of the semester, within 14 days of their purchase. They must have the sales receipt and may need picture ID. It’s difficult to tell which program yields the most returns, but Hill noticed that ESL textbooks often come back because of the language barrier and classes are commonly mistaken. Although price is a deterrent, most students really don’t mind investing in a textbook if they know the course will put it to good use. “If teachers actually read the textbook and assign homework from them,” said Joyce DesLauris, a first-year nursing student, “and give them credit—it would be worth having.”