How to Protect Students and Influence Access
ANSSA submitted this guide to the Premier and the Minister of Advanced Education in the spirit of protecting students, given the inevitability of the decisions that have already been made. If the government is intent on allowing tuition fees to rise, the policy suggestions outlined here will ensure the students most at risk are protected from further fee increases.
ANSWERS
This year the Nova Scotia Government will be the only provincial government in Canada reducing operating funding to universities. The Alliance of Nova Scotia Student Associations (ANSSA) released a public report to remind the government that public spending in post-secondary education is an investment with predictable economic and social returns, and not simply a cost to be contained.
ANSSA’s Pre-Budget Submission 2010
This is ANSSA’s pre-budget submission to the provincial government for 2010. ANSSA has recommended the government :
-Introduce a system of progressive grants & a student debt cap,
-eliminate differential tuition fees for out of province students
-eliminate the graduate tax rebate program
-develop an evidence based youth retention strategy
-commission a comprehensive review of the post-secondary education system in Nova Scotia.
ANSSA believes that if the provincial government is committed to the economical survival of students and universities than the implementation of these recommendations is crucial for the financial sustainability of post secondary education in Nova Scotia.
Student Assistance in Nova Scotia – A Guide for Reform
This submission to the Department of Education’s Student Assistance Review is intended to make both the Nova Scotia Student Assistance Program (NSSAP) and higher education in Nova Scotia more accessible. We have put forth a series of recommendations that address almost every facet of NSSAP. Nova Scotia has one of the worst student assistance programs in North America. Our recommendations are intended to transform NSSAP into the best student assistance program in the Country.
We have recommended the following:
- Increase the grant portion of the student assistance package to account for, at minimum, 50% of a student’s assessed need.
- Restructure the grants system to be progressive, such that an increasing proportion of non-‐ repayable assistance is provided for those students with the highest debt-‐loads.
- Set a debt cap value that ensures the Nova Scotia debt cap is the lowest (best) in the country.
ANSSA – MLA Issues Briefing – Smart Planning for a Smarter Tomorrow
This document first outlines the importance of a well-funded university system and student financial assistance program. We discuss the negative effects student debt has on graduates and the province. We explain the need for a continued tuition freeze and concrete steps that the provincial government can take to ensure greater accessibility to post-secondary education through the use of targeted needs based grants.
