Students Critical of Budget 2020

Edmonton, 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. 

CAUS has also been advocating for the Government to extend and increase the Mental Health Grant that provides for on-campus mental health services. However, without specifying the amount of funding dedicated to campuses, institutions will be unable to maintain the current level of mental health services across Alberta’s campuses. Therefore, the lack of specificity with the funding will immediately lead to weakened mental health outcomes and uncertainty for students as well as those who administer and run these essential programs.

“Students are gravely concerned by this government’s continued cuts to post-secondary education,” said Sadiya Nazir, Chair of CAUS. “We were told the budget wouldn’t be balanced on the backs of students, but what we are seeing here is exactly that. We are already continuing to face challenges from the Fall 2019 in-year cut and with an ill-timed performance based funding model being introduced, institutions are being asked to do more with less.”

Students graduating with high levels of debt, currently $30,000 on average, delay large life decisions such as getting married, buying a house, or starting a family. Increasing the cost to obtain a post-secondary education is becoming increasingly unaffordable and inaccessible to the average Albertan. 

“As this government increases the financial stressors, they are also removing the support students have come to rely on,” commented Bailey Harray, Vice-Chair of CAUS. “Reducing accessibility and availability of mental health services on campuses could have dire consequences.”  

CAUS represents over 100,000 undergraduate students from the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, the University of Lethbridge, Mount Royal University, and MacEwan University. 

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Media Contact

Jon Mastel, ED

Council of Alberta University Students

780-297-4531