“We need the CCPA to remind us that our dreams of a decent, egalitarian society are reasonable — indeed that with a little work, they are practical. And I love that practicality, that protection of the dream of the possible.”
— Naomi Klein
The Manitoba government's post-secondary education policy over the past decade has made access to university much more difficult and much less equitable, and is jeopardizing Manitoba's place in the information economy.
These are some of the findings in No Dollars for Scholars: Equity, Affordability, Deterrence and the Costs of University Education in Manitoba, a major new study prepared for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Manitoba by Chris Dooley and Kerniel Aasland.
"It is now more expensive to acquire a university education in Manitoba than it has been in more than a generation" said Dooley. "And the real costs of attending university are so high that the issue of affordability is becoming the major factor keeping potential students out of the Manitoba's universities."
The authors measured the real costs of acquiring a university education in Manitoba, including direct costs such as tuition and books, as well as students' ability to pay, the costs of borrowing, and the availability of government support through grants and loans.
They conclude that further increases in education costs, program cuts, or losses of earning power will lead to further reductions in university enrolment. The new provincial government should act now to stop the increase in tuition fees. At the same time, any tuition freeze must be undertaken with full compensation to the universities.
The study includes a section of recommendations for a tuition policy that would improve accessibility to post-secondary education in Manitoba.
Media Conference
Date: Monday, January 31, 2000
Time: 12:00 (noon)
Location: CCPA-MB Office, 309-323 Portage Avenue