Alberta has the lowest post-secondary participation rate in Canada. The next provincial budget is the perfect opportunity to improve and get more Albertans into the system and have them meet their potential.
We can do better. Find out how.
Alberta is a province with tremendous opportunity: our provincial government is debt free; we have unparalleled natural resources and beauty; and we have an economy that has weathered the economic downturn, ready to lead Canada in growth. Our post-secondary system is an important part of that opportunity and is well-placed to help overcome the challenges that we face.
Today, Alberta has the lowest post-secondary participation rate in Canada; fewer Albertans go on to formal education than in any other province. This budget is the right moment to work on a goal we have been talking about for the past year: to improve our post-secondary participation rate.
Students recommend:
There is an opportunity to make real progress in our post-secondary education system. Alberta’s economy has weathered the recent economic downturn well, allowing us the available resources to meet the pressing challenges head-on. We are starting with a population base and a K-12 elementary system that allows us to prioritize post-secondary participation and completion rates to avoid a skilled labour shortage that will stifle innovation, entrepreneurship and economic growth over the next decade.
Sadly, Alberta has the lowest post-secondary participation rate in Canada – fewer Albertans go on to formal education than in any other province. CAUS sees this dismal statistic as an opportunity for Alberta. We are issuing a challenge to our province and its education system: to improve our post-secondary participation rate.
To do accomplish this goal we are suggesting the province take steps to reduce the financial barriers through the creation of a provincial grant program for post-secondary students as well as debt relief to encourage completion by graduates.
Alberta is facing an exciting and interesting year politically and economically as our province will see new leaders for many of its political parties, a new Premier and their government, a recovering economy and the chance of a provincial election on the horizon.
Now represents the ideal opportunity to set a bold goal for our province and our post-secondary system. To that end, CAUS is proposing our province strive for having the highest post-secondary participation rate in Canada. To do this, we have set the following immediate priorities for the Government of Alberta:
Our priorities for the year are:
We are also working on ensuring students get out and vote in the next provincial election and that the election is as accessible to students as possible.
Every year students from the University of Alberta, University of Calgary and University of Lethbridge head to the Legislature to press the case for investing in Alberta’s post-secondary system to MLAs and other stakeholders as well as get feedback from decision-makers on where our province is heading and what role they envision for post-secondary students and institutions.
CAUS is calling on MLAs to:
Alberta has the highest non-instructional mandatory fees in Canada, at $818 on top of tuition for the average undergraduate. This is due in large part to imposition of new fees at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary of $290 and $450 a year respectively. Those increases are permitted due to the government’s lax rules surrounding new fees.
The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) believes the Government of Alberta should immediately pass a regulation that covers non-instructional fees, providing limits and collegial mechanisms to govern the creation and increase of those fees, as well as a clear delineation between fees governed by the Tuition Fee Policy and those that are not.
Joint Proposal from AGC, ASEC and CAUS on Fees
Why Referenda is the Best Method of Setting Fees Setting the Rules on Fees
Voting is the basis of our democracy, the political act that gives the actions of the government their legitimacy and power. Unfortunately our most recent provincial election saw only 40.6% of eligible voters coming out to the polls and even fewer young Albertans. The democratic system itself is partially to blame for this poor turnout, particularly among post-secondary students. There are numerous barriers for students to get through in order to vote.
Fortunately, there are some clear and easy changes that the Government of Alberta and Elections Alberta can do before the next provincial election to make it easier for post-secondary students to vote. The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS), representing students at the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and the University of Lethbridge are making five recommendations to break down the barriers to voting by Alberta’s post-secondary students.
