For Immediate Release
Friday, March 22, 2024
Saskatchewan Students in Dire Need of Increased Investments in Post-Secondary Education
REGINA—The Saskatchewan government’s increase in capital funding in its 2024 budget without an adequate increase to operating budget and per-student funding is disappointing news to students studying in Saskatchewan’s post-secondary education institutions.
Members of the University of Regina Students’ Union’s (URSU) team were present at the budget announcement at the Legislature. “While we appreciate the Saskatchewan government’s 12 million top-up investment to the multi-year funding agreement in post-secondary education, overall, we find this budget disheartening as base funding is still frozen at the 2020-21 levels, meaning the increased funding is not keeping pace with the rate of inflation,” said Tayef Ahmed, Executive Director of the Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG). This effectively translates to a real dollar cut to university operating grants. According to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan undergraduate students are burdened with the second-highest tuition fees in the country, about 33% more than the national average. “Between 2010 and 2020, Saskatchewan saw its proportion of funding in post-secondary education from the provincial government decline from 54 to 50 percent,” added Ahmed. “While the proportion of funding from tuition and fees increased from 14 percent to 22 percent during the same period. Despite these challenges, we are committed to building a universally accessible post-secondary education system that caters to the needs of all students, and we will not waver in this mission.”
The recently released Blue Ribbon Expert Panel report made to the Ontario government’s Minister of Colleges and Universities, along with the Fall 2023 enrollment numbers at the University of Regina and the funding received from the province, reveal a distressing reality. Per-student funding in Saskatchewan is $8604, which is 63% below the national average. This funding disparity is not just a number; it is a barrier to quality education for our students. It means fewer resources, limited opportunities, and increased financial stress. The Saskatchewan government must urgently address this and increase per-student funding to national average levels. URSU is committed to building a universally accessible post-secondary education system that caters to the needs of all students.
URSU remains unwavering in its commitment to advocate for a more holistic approach to provincial education. With the multi-year funding agreement about to expire and upcoming provincial elections in the Fall, the upcoming year will be pivotal for students and education in the province. It is not just necessary but imperative that students must be actively engaged and lead efforts to develop the future provincial vision for post-secondary education to ensure it benefits everyone. URSU insists that the provincial government include students in the negotiations for the next round of multi-year funding agreement.
The University of Regina Students Union represents over 16,000 college, undergraduate and graduate students studying at the University of Regina.
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For more information: Tejas Patel, President, University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU)
Email: pres@ursu.ca Phone: 306-586-8811
