NEWS

Pay Up! Uh, We Mean...Welcome Back

Canadian national budget makes education the last priority

Nicole Burton, News Editor

As students in Canada return for classes this year, the
“Welcome Back” parties and orientations are being
overshadowed by a greater issue on the horizon. For the
pastten years, tuition has risen dramatically across
Canada, especially in BC since the lifting of the 2002
tuition freeze. And with the release of Canada’s
National Budget for 2005-2006, many students already
swallowed in debt are questioning their ability to man-
age-or even to continue with their education.

On June 22, Finance Minister Ralph Goodale deliv-
ered the 2005 National Budget. Some tasty highlights of
interest to every student in Canada include a doubling
of the military budget over the next five years to total
more than $25 billion, the biggest increase in military
spending in 20 years. An additional $3 billion will go to
beef up Canadian military forces by 5,000 soldiers and
3,000 reserves. According to Statistics Canada, it would
only take $12.8 billion to provide every undergraduate
in Canada with a paid education. Nonetheless, educa-
tion (and healthcare and funding for social services, for
that matter) are noticeably missing.

‘

“We're moving more towards a system where
lawyers’ kids become lawyers and doctors’ kids become
doctors and the rest of students will be left out,” said a
representative of the Canadian Federation of Students
(CFS) in a recent statement to the federal government.

Ottawa has cut almost $4 billion from its transfer
payments to the provinces to fund post-secondary edu-
cation only in the last ten years. “As a direct result,” the
CFS rep continued, “average tuition fees for post-sec-
ondary education have doubled and student debt has
tripled.”

Combine that with recent legislation that blocks any
student or former student from filing bankruptcy if he
or she has a student loan-unless their loan is over ten
years old—and you have a formula for financial ruin.
Maybe the lawmakers in Ottawa should realize that stu-
dents are the population in Canada with the fastest-
growing debt.

For Douglas College, where its 12,000 students face
the astronomical tuition increase of 93 percent, this is
proving to be a major block for education. In a recent

nicolemarieburton@yahoo.com

meeting between student representatives and Mike
Savage, Liberal MP—Dartmouth—Cole Harbour and
Chair of the Liberal Post-Secondary Caucus, Heidi
Taylor of the Douglas Students Union outlined the pri-
mary issues affecting students at Douglas. According to
Taylor, tuition increases have led to more students
working and attending school part-time, resulting in
longer periods to complete their studies. Many Douglas
College students may have simply drop out due to lack
of funds.

Since the lifting of the tuition freeze in BC in 2002,
the provincial liberals have sent tuition fees up an aver-
age of 200 percent across the province. Last year alone
(2004) saw BC students get an average rise of 15.6 per-
cent, and the average student paid $4,735 per year to go
to school. And that’s just too much.

Tuition Increases for
BC Colleges & Universities
2001-2005

Douglas College +93%

University of Victoria +100%

Vancouver Community +93—500%*

College

Simon Fraser University (SFU) +1 00%

Malaspina University College +200%

 

Oe:
ent Balance: North Island College +200%

mee ONO):

*Specific increase depends on program

Source: Reports from student representatives in
Roundtable meeting with Mike Savage, Chair of
Liberal Post-Secondary Caucus

July 26, 2005—Vancouver Community College

Broke again?
What are you, an Other Press employee?