StudentsSay Budget Could Have Gone Farther

By 250 News

The Students Union at the College of New Caledonia in Prince George says the Federal Budget didn't go far enough.  The  students say  the $800 million increase in federal funding for post-secondary education is a positive step towards restoring the massive federal funding cuts of the 1990’s.

Valentine Crawford, Chairperson for the College of New Caledonia Students’ Union says  more could have been done.. “Even with this additional funding, which won’t come for at least another year, Federal transfer payments for post-secondary education will still be at least $1 billion short of 1992 levels. At the very least, funding must be restored to historical levels immediately.”

Students are concerned  the increased transfer payments may not actually be spent on post-secondary education by the provinces. “Without firm guidelines, we are concerned that any additional funds may end up being used by the provinces any way they want,” said Crawford. “For years students have called upon the Federal Government to implement a Post-Secondary Education Act, similar to the Canada Health Act. It is important that the Federal Government put in place such an Act or some sort of guidelines for the provinces to follow to ensure that the increased transfer payment actually helps fund institutions such as CNC and UNBC.”

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