Looking at all of the activity in Alberta politics over the past week it would seem obvious that we are not the only ones interested in the next provincial budget. The Progressive Conservative caucus held a two-day long meeting in Calgary last week to discuss among many other things the budget and it was revealed that the basic business plans and numbers of the budget were approved. No doubt some areas will still receive some tweaking and there is the issue of the new Finance Minister’s speech but on the whole the recommendations of groups like CAUS have all been decided upon and now we wait for the start of session on February 22.
It goes without saying that those of us at the CAUS and the students we represent believe that taking the opportunity to invest in post-secondary education is the right choice for this budget. Enrolment is climbing at our institutions but there remains insufficient spots to educate all who qualify and the available spots are unaffordable for many. That is why we proposed increasing funding to create more opportunities and to increase funding to up-front grants for students, the proven method of ensuring financial barriers do not get in the way of getting an education.
Last year Alberta Advanced Education and Technology received a $205 million cut, or 6% of their total budget. The 2010 budget calls for spending $3.2 billion and projects cutting that further to $2.9 billion in the next provincial budget, the one expected to be tabled in a few weeks. We have looked at the same numbers and believe there is a strong case for increasing our investment. Only a few weeks before we find out where the government places its priorities.
Yesterday’s provincial budget made it clear that students were going to be the ones footing the bill for cuts in post-secondary education through increased student debt. Coming down at the same time as universities ponder dramatic tuition increases and new mandatory fees students, the cuts to scholarships, bursaries and grants will be felt hard on campus.
“A cut to bursaries and grants is a slap in the face – thousands of students are facing the prospect of few summer jobs and now are given little more than additional debt by the province,” said Beverly Eastham, chair of the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) and VP External at the University of Alberta Students’ Union. “We are especially disappointed in cutting the Student Loan Relief Benefit, the most important tool we have to limit student debt in this province. That is going to send those debt levels through the roof – expect to see graduates with as much as $50,000 or more in debt.”
The 2010 provincial budget made several unexpected cuts to Alberta’s student financial aid system, including:
- Eliminating the $34.5 million Student Loan Relief Benefit, which limited the amount of debt a student could graduate with in Alberta
- Cutting grants and bursaries to $13.5 million, a cut of 55% from last year
- Reducing scholarships by $2.9 million from last year
In order to compensate for these changes, the government is increasing student loan disbursements by $37.6 million through increasing loan limits, living allowances and other policy changes, although much of that may flow directly to institutions in the form of tuition increases and new fees.
“Students have been hit hard by this economic downturn and can ill afford to see their supports crumbling away. This is a budget that hurts students,” concluded Eastham.
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