Students Encouraged by Introduction of Bill 19

“An Act to Improve the Affordability and Accessibility of Post-Secondary Education”

For immediate release – November 1, 2018 

 Edmonton, Alberta – The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) had been eagerly anticipating a response from the Government of Alberta regarding results of the tuition review, and celebrate the changes brought forward by recent legislation. The introduction of Bill 19, “An Act to Improve the Affordability and Accessibility of Post-Secondary Education” includes significant and unprecedented wins for students across the province. 

In addition to another extension of the freeze for the 2019- 2020 academic year, details of Bill 19 address costs including tuition for domestic and international students, regulations for mandatory non-instructional fees, increasing and improving student representation throughout institutional governance structures, and offers predictability to students at a time when financial barriers remain top of mind for those enrolled in post-secondary education. 

Mount Royal University and MacEwan University will be adding an additional student on the Board of Governors, aligning themselves with governance structures at the University of Calgary, University of Alberta, and the University of Lethbridge. “We are thankful to the Government of Alberta, Premier Rachel Notley, and Minister Marlin Schmidt, for taking these concerns seriously, and working to better the lives of students across the province,” said Andrew Bieman, Chair of CAUS, and Vice-President External at the Students Association of MacEwan University, “and we remain enthusiastic about increasing representation across our institutions to better support positive changes as we move forward.” 

In addition to the changes in legislation that protect domestic tuition from arbitrary increases, international students are excited about finally knowing the cost of their entire education upon an offer of admission. “These changes allow international students to know exactly what their education will cost”, said Amanda Leblanc, Vice-Chair of CAUS, and Vice-President External at the Students Association of Mount Royal University, “and by offering that type of predictability, we become more attractive to students here at home, from other provinces, and on an international stage.” 

Bill 19 is an incredible response to decades of student advocacy, and provides a great first step forward as we work to improve the experience of students in Alberta. 

For more information, please contact:

Andrew Bieman

Chair

#1 9908 109th Street

Edmonton, AB T5K 1H5

chair@caus.net/ 780.566.1168

CAUS Home Office

#1 9908 109th Street

Edmonton, AB T5K 1H5

ed@caus.net/ 780.297.4531