Education a popular cause for Liberals
Money for students, universities and researchers is what Canadians really want, if the Liberal government's pre-election financial plan is any indication.
Longer Canada Access Grants for more students, improvements to the student financial assistance program and more graduate scholarships are part of a five-year spending plan announced Nov. 14.
Student groups supported the plan but found it lacked the support for an education agreement to coordinate spending between universities and the federal and provincial governments.
Finance Minister Ralph Goodale presented a thick policy document with his fiscal update. Such updates normally contain only numbers on the government's spending targets.
“A Plan for Growth and Prosperity” proposes spending until 2011, which will depend on whether the Liberal government remains in power through an election that could be held as early as December, or as late as February.
After extensive corporate and low-income tax reductions, the financial update proposed a number of post-secondary education spending plans aimed at students. This includes doubling the number of Canada Graduate Scholarships, boosting the student financial assistance program by $2.2 billion, and supporting Canadian students abroad and international students in Canada.
The Liberals are also promising to extend the Canada Access Grants program to cover four years of tuition and be available to 55,000 more students.
If the Liberals remain in power, universities could get $1 billion for the Post-Secondary Education Innovation Fund, and $2.1 billion through federal research granting councils.
Human Resources Minister Belinda Stronach said the investments will be a good thing for students, and will be critical for the future prosperity of Canadians.
Philippe Ouellette, president of Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, said students have been lobbying for better grants and a review of the Student Financial Assistance Act.
Increasing spending on grants is an encouraging step forward, but not without its faults, said George Soule, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students.
“If tuition fees rise, then the effectiveness of those grants will continually be eroded,” Soule said. “Unfortunately this is just another example of the Liberals avoiding actually engaging in a real discussion with the provinces to reduce tuition fees.”
Stronach said the government's planned spending is in areas where they have traditionally played a role, but she is working with her provincial counterparts.
Ouellette was hopeful of the possibility for a dedicated education transfer payment and education policy agreement.
“We want reliability, consistency and transparency in our post-secondary institutions,” Ouellette said.
Longer Canada Access Grants for more students, improvements to the student financial assistance program and more graduate scholarships are part of a five-year spending plan announced Nov. 14.
Student groups supported the plan but found it lacked the support for an education agreement to coordinate spending between universities and the federal and provincial governments.
Finance Minister Ralph Goodale presented a thick policy document with his fiscal update. Such updates normally contain only numbers on the government's spending targets.
“A Plan for Growth and Prosperity” proposes spending until 2011, which will depend on whether the Liberal government remains in power through an election that could be held as early as December, or as late as February.
After extensive corporate and low-income tax reductions, the financial update proposed a number of post-secondary education spending plans aimed at students. This includes doubling the number of Canada Graduate Scholarships, boosting the student financial assistance program by $2.2 billion, and supporting Canadian students abroad and international students in Canada.
The Liberals are also promising to extend the Canada Access Grants program to cover four years of tuition and be available to 55,000 more students.
If the Liberals remain in power, universities could get $1 billion for the Post-Secondary Education Innovation Fund, and $2.1 billion through federal research granting councils.
Human Resources Minister Belinda Stronach said the investments will be a good thing for students, and will be critical for the future prosperity of Canadians.
Philippe Ouellette, president of Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, said students have been lobbying for better grants and a review of the Student Financial Assistance Act.
Increasing spending on grants is an encouraging step forward, but not without its faults, said George Soule, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students.
“If tuition fees rise, then the effectiveness of those grants will continually be eroded,” Soule said. “Unfortunately this is just another example of the Liberals avoiding actually engaging in a real discussion with the provinces to reduce tuition fees.”
Stronach said the government's planned spending is in areas where they have traditionally played a role, but she is working with her provincial counterparts.
Ouellette was hopeful of the possibility for a dedicated education transfer payment and education policy agreement.
“We want reliability, consistency and transparency in our post-secondary institutions,” Ouellette said.
