Post-secondary student groups unimpressed with provincial budget
CBC
Groups representing post-secondary students in Alberta are expressing frustration at this year's provincial budget. They say it does nothing to help students cope with a severe affordability crisis and may push many of them out of school.
Tala Abu Hayyaneh, the vice-president academic of the Students' Association of Mount Royal University, says the list of things contributing to the unaffordability of a college or university education is a long one, including all-time high housing costs, food, textbooks, tuition fees, student loan debt, and the difficulty of finding part-time or summer employment.
"Students are facing a lot of challenges and the budget did not address those concerns," Abu Hayyaneh told CBC News.
"Students are having to make a choice between their meals or their textbooks."
Naju Syed, the vice-chair of the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS), agrees. She says at her school — Athabasca University — there's been a 300 per cent increase in food bank use.
"I think our biggest concern is when post-secondary education just flat-out becomes unaffordable for students and students are no longer choosing to go this route," said Syed.
In a news release, the Students' Union at the University of Calgary described the budget as "an indirect cut on a post-secondary education system already on life support."
According to the release, the provincial government has cut per-capita post-secondary funding by 7.3 percent.
"The real risk … is that Alberta is going to be leaving talent on the table. Without proper funding for post-secondary education, fewer courses are available for students, which delays graduation and turns away countless talented, prospective students," the release says.
When asked to respond to the concerns being raised by the student groups, a spokesperson for the minister of advanced education said in a statement to CBC News that the province understands the affordability crisis affecting many Albertans, including students who are struggling with the cost of living.
Mackenzie Blyth said that's why the government capped tuition increases for domestic students at two per cent at most public post-secondary institutions starting in the 2024/2025 academic year, reduced the interest rate on Alberta student loans, extended the payment and interest-free grace period for loans to 12 months after a student completes their studies, and increased the eligibility for the Repayment Assistance Plan to make student loan repayment more manageable.
Abu Hayyaneh said the tuition cap does give students a bit of hope, "but students did not get what they really needed out of the budget."
The province has increased the amount of loans available, she said, but the amount of grants, which don't require repayment, has been reduced.
"Grants are the lifeline of a lot of students."
Cool temperatures and sufficient snowfall have combined to helped some Maritime ski hills add a few extra days of business to this year's season.
A Winnipeg-based rabbi says the local Jewish community must stand together in the wake of a deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Australia on Sunday.
More than half of Alberta adults say they would support eliminating provincial funding for private schools if the issue went to a referendum, a recent survey suggests.
The receding of floodwaters in Abbotsford, B.C., has led officials to reopen Highway 1 and downgrade some evacuation orders, though more rain is expected across the Fraser Valley and other parts of the province.
When she flew home to Edmonton from Mexico this month, Mahala Swisterski says she and her husband breathed a sigh of relief as they boarded the plane.
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the door is open for American officials to restart trade talks with Canada, but the next time for direct engagement on trade will likely be when the North American free trade agreement begins its review process next month.
A winter storm rolling through the Maritimes is expected to impact much of P.E.I. on Sunday, with the system continuing to bring snow and blustery conditions into Monday.
Calgary police say they will have an increased presence at the city's official menorah lighting ceremony Monday, after at least 15 people were killed in an attack at a Hanukkah event at Sydney's Bondi Beach. "The Calgary Police Service has increased patrols around synagogues and at local Hanukkah events, including at tomorrow's menorah lighting at city hall," a police statement said.
A new study suggests that a colony of sea birds nesting on Cape Parry in the N.W.T. could face increasing threats related to increased Arctic shipping traffic and environmental change.
Albertans — predominantly members of the South Asian community — gathered at the Venice Banquet Hall in northeast Calgary for a town hall Saturday to address concerns around extortion and crime, with provincial and federal elected officials in attendance.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party's focus on affordability "is what unites all Conservatives," as the Tories grapple with another MP crossing the floor to join the Liberals — bringing them one seat shy of forming a majority government.
Toronto, York and Peel police are increasing their presence in the Jewish community during Hanukkah after the harrowing attack at Australia’s Bondi Beach on Sunday.
Another round of wintry weather is moving through Nova Scotia and P.E.I. on Sunday and will continue into Monday, with more snow and gusty winds, followed by frigid temperatures.