The cost of providing and accessing education in BC has skyrocketed over the past few decades. Tuition has risen, student debt has risen, and the full time equivalent (FTE) grant funding to BC’s post-secondary institutions has not increased to cover the real cost of enrollments.
On February 26th, British Columbia got a new premier. It is time to bring public awareness to the important issues that all students face in the post-secondary system!
The Simon Fraser Student Society, Camosun Student Society and the University of Victoria Student Society are organizing a united student protest event on the front steps of the Legislative Assembly in Victoria. There will be student society representatives, community members and coalition partners from across the province.
We want you to be there!
Event Details
When: Wednesday March 16th, 11:30am to 3:00pm
Where: Driveway and stairs in front of the BC Legislature in Victoria
There will be speakers, bands, food and opportunities for participating organizations to display information, materials and promote campaigns in support of these issues. Our goal is to help students, members of the Legislative Assembly, and the community become more informed about the cost of post-secondary education in BC.
Proposals for Change
1. Lower the Interest Rates on BC Student Loans
BC charges the highest interest rates on student loans in Canada. Some provinces charge no interest on provincial student loans, while others charge only what the government has paid to secure funds for their student loan systems.
2. Increase Loan Reduction and Create Student Grant Program
The best way to help struggling students is to target assistance to those who need it. The BC Loan Reduction Program provides grants to student-loan recipients, thereby lowering the repayable loan amount and effectively reducing the cost of their post-secondary education. In 2004 the BC grants program was axed, leaving students with even less funding. Having an upfront grants program will make post secondary education more accessible to students today.
3. Increase Public Funding to Post-Secondary Institutions
Student debt is high because the costs of a post-secondary education has increased rapidly in British Columbia in the last decade. This has resulted in BC students having the highest debt in the country with the average borrower graduating with $27,000 of debt!
a. In 2001, at SFU tuition fees were $2310 for 10 courses a year. In 2010, these fees had risen by 119% to $4815. At Camosun the tuition has increased 260%.
b. International undergraduate students now pay over $14,000 per year at SFU for the same course load domestic students take at one-third the cost.
We argue that the best way to provide accessible education is to ensure that the BC government’s FTE grant funding to post-secondary institutions both matches actual enrollments and is increased to reflect the real cost to institutions of providing education in BC.
For more information on how to get involved contact:
Vancouver
Kyle Acierno
Simon Fraser Student Society
(778) 782-6563
ero@sfss.ca
Victoria
Matteus Clement
Camosun College
250.885.5758
external@camosunstudent.org
Victoria
James Coccola
University of Victoria
(250) 721-8370
uvsschr@uvic.ca
For more info check out the Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=183780824991315
