Edmonton, AB - Edmonton, AB - The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) is deeply concerned about the news regarding the Government of Alberta’s changing eligibility requirements for the province’s Student Grant for Full-Time Students. In particular, CAUS has noted the absence of communication around this eligibility shift, both to student advocacy organizations and to the individual students who rely on these funds.
Read MoreEdmonton, AB - Today the Government of Alberta announced new initiatives and funding to address dating, domestic, and sexual violence on Alberta campuses. The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) is pleased to see this announcement as it has been calling for action since CAUS released its campus sexual violence research paper in 2019. Among the recommendations in the paper were calls to improve sexual assault policies to better protect survivors and establishing a standardized province wide survey to better assess the situation.
Read MoreEdmonton, Alberta - While the new Alberta 2030 strategy promises to improve how the province handles student financial aid, campus sexual violence, mental health, and other high priorities, students remain concerned about the cost and accessibility of education, as well as a lack of details on implementing the strategy's goals.
Read MoreEdmonton, AB – After a year of unprecedented challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ten student organizations across Canada have released Shared Perspectives: A Joint Publication on Supporting Students During and After COVID-19.
Read MoreEdmonton, Alberta - On March 27, post-secondary student leaders, representing over 200,000 students across Alberta, met to discuss the challenges that students and the post-secondary sector are facing.
“A gathering that represents this many Alberta students is unprecedented,” said Rowan Ley, Chair of the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS). “The students at Alberta’s colleges, polytechnics, and universities are deeply concerned about funding cuts, rapid increases to tuition, online course delivery, and on-campus supports.”
Read MoreEdmonton, AB, March 2, 2021 - With the release of Budget 2021, the Government of Alberta has cut teaching and research supports to post-secondary institutions by $175 million compared with last year's budget. This is the third budget with a significant cut to post-secondary operations, removing over $400 million in total, and the government is proposing another 7% cut next year. As Albertans return to universities for training and upgrading their skills, this government continues to increase costs to students and their families, claiming that the government cannot bear the costs.
Read MoreEdmonton, Alberta - The 2021 Budget for the Government of Alberta, tabled today, has sent a clear signal to students: quality is going down, but costs are going up. Since 2018, the Government of Alberta has cut funding for Advanced Education by over $300 million, offloading the cost onto students who faced an equivalent $300 million increase to their tuition. Student Financial Aid relies increasingly more on student loans with more than $731 million being added to student debt in the coming year.
Read MoreBudget 2021 delivers post-secondary funding cuts and tuition increases, impacting affordability and accessibility of education. Now is the time to invest in Alberta’s post-secondary sector as a proven means of economic recovery, yet this budget increases costs for Albertans at the worst possible time. Students call on the Government of Alberta to restore funding to the Campus Alberta Grant, reduce the three year 22.5% tuition increase, provide additional upfront needs-based grants, and eliminate interest on student loans.
Read MoreThis week, millions of people have courageously spoken out against white supremacy, structural racism and police violence. Alberta students are outraged by the violent deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Regis Korchinski-Paquet in Toronto, and so many others before them. In this moment, to be silent is to be complicit. Alberta students will not be silent. We stand in solidarity and allyship with our Black classmates, instructors, and friends at home, and the racialized victims of state violence across the continent.
Read MoreAlberta undergraduates welcome the delay to the implementation of a new funding scheme of performance-based funding on post-secondary institutions. With the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) called for a delay in the implementation given the large uncertainties with class delivery, international travel restrictions, and the economic downturn.
Read MoreEdmonton, AB - On January 20th, 2020, Alberta’s Minister of Advanced Education announced a new “outcomes-based post-secondary funding approach” to be implemented on April 1, 2020. Instead of block grants, institutions will be held to performance-based funding (PBF) metrics that they must meet in order to receive their full annual funding grant. These metrics will be outlined in three-year funding agreements, which is a drastic change from the current annual renewal model.
Read MoreThe post-secondary students of Alberta call for the Government of Alberta to suspend the enforcement of eviction notices caused by delayed payment due to the COVID-19 pandemic for 90 days. Starting on March 30th, 2020, a temporary freeze on eviction enforcement due to delayed payment would support Albertans, especially post-secondary students, who are falling short on rent payments as a result of job loss or mandatory social isolation.
Read MoreEdmonton, AB - University students in Alberta are thankful the Government of Alberta is placing a moratorium on payments for Alberta Student Loans as well as returning all loans to interest free status for six months.
Read MoreEdmonton, AB - University students in Alberta are displeased with the recently announced Budget 2020. The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) has been asking the Government to maintain funding levels for post-secondary institutions. The decision to continue cutting these grants will lower the quality of education, decrease affordability, and limit accessibility of much-needed student support programs.
Read MoreEdmonton, AB - Today, the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) released an in-depth research paper exploring campus sexual violence at Alberta’s post-secondary institutions, the first of its kind in Alberta to be written by student leaders that is research-intensive and focuses on recommendations for the Government of Alberta’s consideration.
Read MoreToday, the Minister of Advanced Education announced a new “outcomes-based post-secondary funding approach” that will take effect on April 1, 2020. Instead of block grants, institutions will be held to performance-based funding (PBF) metrics that they must meet to receive their full annual funding.
Read MoreThe Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) strongly disagrees with the Government of Alberta’s decision to remove consultation requirements and non-instructional fee caps from the post-secondary tuition and fees regulation.
Read MoreTo preserve the integrity of our advocacy meetings, CAUS will refrain from taking photos with Members of the Legislative Assembly or their staff. Students are facing an uncertain time and we will not distract from the messages, concerns, and solutions that we are providing. CAUS remains committed to transparency in our advocacy efforts and will continue to update students on our work with external stakeholders. This mandate is effective until further notice.
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