Denise Savoie

CONSERVATIVES’ REFUSAL TO RESTORE PSE FUNDING RESULTS IN SKYROCKETING TUITION: NDP

VICTORIA – Today’s news of accelerating tuition hikes is no surprise given the refusal of successive federal governments to re-invest in post-secondary education, said Denise Savoie, MP for Victoria and NDP Advocate for Post-Secondary Education and Training.

Statistics Canada released its annual report on tuition rates in Canada today, confirming a 3.2% rise in average undergraduate tuition nationally, and a continuation of disturbing trends of inequality across provinces.

“There is an overwhelming consensus among education stakeholders that the federal government must restore stable, core funding to ensure accessible, quality education,” said Savoie. “Even the premiers can agree that federal re-investment is the number one priority in post-secondary education in Canada.”

The national average tuition for undergraduates is now $4,347 – almost triple what it was sixteen years ago. In BC, tuition ($4,960) has nearly doubled in five years – by far the largest leap of any province.

The striking discrepancy in per capita funding and tuition rates across provinces reveals the clear need for federal leadership, said Savoie. Average tuition for an undergraduate student in Quebec is $1,916, compared with $3,338 in Manitoba and a staggering $6,571 in Nova Scotia.

“If you want to talk about fiscal imbalance, it’s in the tremendous tuition and debt burden shouldered by students because of the cuts in the 1990s. It is time for Prime Minister Harper to step up to the plate and fix it,” continued Savoie.

Savoie pointed out that federal cash transfers for post-secondary education relative to GDP are less than half what they were in 1992-93.

“The Conservative vision of withdrawing from all areas of social policy is no secret,” concluded Savoie. “But I do not believe that the very real issues in post-secondary education and training can be solved by giving tax room to the provinces.”