Check it out @ 4:16 into the clip.

Valentine’s Cards are being signed on partner campuses across the province – stay tuned for more information on where you can go participate on your campus.

Opposition Critic for Advanced Education Michelle Mungall will be in attendance, sharing her party’s views on the state of post-secondary education.  The Minister was invited but cannot attend due to scheduling conflicts.

The ‘Where’s the Funding?!’ campaign calls on the BC Government to commit to an immediate increase in funding to the post-secondary education system on a long-term basis.  In order to achieve a more accessible and affordable post-secondary education, students are asking for the following:

-The elimination of interest rates on student loans.
-The re-establishment of a provincial needs-based grants program.
-An increase to core-funding for colleges and universities.

What:               WTF?! Campaign Soup Kitchen

When:              Wednesday November 23, 11am – 2pm

Where:             UVic Student Union Building, Vertigo

MORE INFO:

http://wheresthefunding.org/

Where’s The Funding?! (WTF?!) campaign is organised by the UVic Students’ Society (UVSS), UBC Alma Mater Society (UBC AMS), Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS), Capilano Students’ Union (CSU), Langara Students’ Union (LSU), University of the Fraser Valley Student Union Society (UFVSUS,) and Nothern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS).  The WTF?! Campaign is the largest student-organised post-secondary campaign in B.C. representing over 121,000 students at seven institutions.

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The WTF?! Campaign is picking up some MAJOR STEAM – the Northern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS) at UNBC recently voted unanimously to join the WTF?! Campaign.  Awesome.

We are excited to work with our fellow students in the North as we call on the BC government to commit to an immediate increase in funding for post-secondary education on a long-term basis (i.e. the elimination of interest rates on student loans, the re-establishment of a provincial needs-based grants program, and an increase to core-funding for colleges and universities).

With the addition of NUGSS, the WTF?! Campaign is now the largest student-organised post-secondary campaign in B.C. representing over 121,000 students at seven institutions.

Peace,
The WTF?! Team

“It is very exciting to see the recommendations of the Finance and Government Services reflect the issues which we highlighted to the committee,” said UVSS Chairperson Tara Paterson.  “Now we’re hoping that Premier Clark will listen to the overwhelming consensus from students, families and her own MLAs and act on these recommendations by reinstituting the provincial grants program and reducing interest rates on student loans.”

Student needs-based grant programs, which were cut in 2004 in BC, are widely acknowledged to provide most effective incentives for low-income students to access post-secondary education. BC is the only Canadian province that does not have a needs-based grants program.

The Committee’s recommendation calls on the government to reduce interest rates on student loans to “the middle of the pack” of Canadian provinces. BC currently has the highest interest rates on student loans in Canada, and the recent provincial-federal student loan amalgamation creates an opportunity to pass off cost-savings to students.

“This is a great first step, and we salute the committee’s recommendation to follow in the footsteps of other provinces which have reduced or eliminated their student loan interest rates,” said UVSS Director of External Relations Jaraad Marani.  “It doesn’t make sense that the students with the least amount of money ultimately pay the most to attend post-secondary institutions.  If we want to increase access for low-income students, we must change the loan program accordingly.”

The government borrows at 1% below prime, but charges the over 84,000 students currently repaying their loans 2.5% above prime.

Where’s The Funding?! (WTF?!) campaign is organised by the UVic Students’ Society (UVSS), UBC Alma Mater Society (UBC AMS), Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS), Capilano Students’ Union (CSU), Langara Students’ Union (LSU), University of the Fraser Valley Student Union Society (UFVSUS,) and Nothern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS).  The WTF?! Campaign is the largest student-organised post-secondary campaign in B.C. representing over 121,000 students at seven institutions.

In a recent government announcement, amendments to the Financial Administration Act will eliminate non-sufficient fund (NSF) fees for student borrowers, consistent with Federal rules. This change will be a boon not only to the approximately 65,000 current and new students, but also to the over 84,000 British Columbian graduates currently repaying their student loans. A further amendment will also allow students who are minors to sign a loan agreement without a guarantor – eliminating a roadblock for many.

“While these reforms represent a big step forward in eliminating red tape, the core problem faced by students is the cost of education itself,” said UVic Students’ Society Chairperson Tara Paterson.  “These reforms can and should pave the way for the adoption of the interest reduction and provincial grants programs being called for by the Where’s the Funding campaign.”

According to the Ministry of Finance, the amalgamation will mean significantly reduced costs for the student loan program – savings that should go back into the program. “For years, the government has stated that the high administrative costs of the program were the reason for the prime + 2.5% interest rate on student loans – the highest rate nationwide,” said Paterson. “The government has a responsibility to pass off these cost savings to students and lower the interest rate.”

Most critically, the province’s elimination of the provincial grants program in 2004 was partly prefaced on problems with the student loan contract at the time – problems the Federal government has since solved, and which will be part of the amalgamated contract. “This is a golden opportunity for the government to step up and re-institute the provincial grants program, the single most effective tool for providing financial assistance to lower-income students,” said Paterson.

Where’s The Funding?! (WTF?!) campaign is organised by the UVic Students’ Society (UVSS), UBC Alma Mater Society (UBC AMS), Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS), Capilano Students’ Union (CSU), Langara Students’ Union (LSU), University of the Fraser Valley Student Union Society (UFVSUS, and Nothern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS).  The WTF?! Campaign is the largest student-organised post-secondary campaign in B.C. representing over 121,000 students.

SFU members of the Where’s the Funding Campaign are organizing a petition event at SFU on Thursday November 10.

Time:              10:30am – 3:30pm

Date:              Thursday November 10

Location:       SFU Convocation Mall

Campaign demands:

• The elimination of interest rates on student loans.
• The re-establishment of a provincial needs-based grants program.
• An increase to core-funding for colleges and universities.

Make sure to come out, sign some petitions and MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

For more information contact:

Kevin Zhang
Simon Fraser Student Society
604.760.8569
ero@sfss.ca

Kyle Acierno
Simon Fraser Student Society
604.785.6322
artsrep@sfss.ca

Quick announcement: We are SUPER EXCITED to have the University of the Fraser Valley Student Union Society on board for the Where’s the Funding Campaign. UFVSUS represents the 16,000+ students who attend classes at Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Hope and Agassiz.

We are looking forward to collaborating with UFVSUS as we call on the BC government to commit to an immediate increase in funding for post-secondary education on a long-term basis (i.e. the elimination of interest rates on student loans, the re-establishment of a provincial needs-based grants program, and an increase to core-funding for colleges and universities).

Word,
The WTF?! Team

Premier’s jobs plan to increase international student enrolment short-sighted

Victoria – As Premier Clark toured the province on the ‘B.C. Jobs Plan’ tour, she announced yesterday in Kamloops that the province was setting the goal of increasing the number of international students by 50 percent over four years.  BC students think this is a short-sighted solution to a much larger problem.

“Long term sustained job-growth in this province is going to come from making colleges and universities accessible and affordable for both BC students and international students,” said UVSS chairperson Tara Paterson.  “Attracting more international students to B.C. is a short-sighted solution which uses exorbitant tuition fee revenue from international students to prop up a chronically underfunded post-secondary system – rather than work to create real job growth.”

Tuition for international students in B.C. is currently $2,000 above the national average, which is already three times more than the average for domestic students.  With such high fees and the lack of capacity to absorb 50,000 new students into B.C. colleges and universities, it isn’t clear how the province will be able reach its projected goal.  For years, universities and colleges in B.C. have been aggressively recruiting international students.  It isn’t clear from the premier’s announcement how they will be able to increase numbers by 50 percent.

“If the B.C. government is truly serious about job growth, it should instead be looking at goals such as eliminating interest on student loans and re-instating the provincial needs-based grants program for students,” said Paterson.  “While there are some economic spin-offs from increased international student enrolment, the government’s short-term fix won’t solve the student debt crisis in BC.  This crisis is going to have a severe impact on job creation and economic growth in the long-term.”

Where’s The Funding?! is a joint-campaign organised by the UVic Students’ Society (UVSS), UBC Alma Mater Society (UBC AMS), Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS), Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) and Langara Students’ Union (LSU).

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Minister of Advanced Education needs to check her facts

Victoria – This week, Minister of Advanced Education Naomi Yamamoto advanced claims in the media about post-secondary funding that are simply not true.

“The Minister claims that 70% of BC students graduate without student debt,” said UVSS Chairperson Tara Paterson.  “She clearly needs to get the ministry’s researchers to review a 2009 document issued by the Millennium Scholarship Foundation which states that 54% of BC students graduate with student debt.”

The Millennium Scholarship Foundation document also states that between 2000 and 2009, student debt for BC undergrads grew higher than anywhere else in the country at a rate of 14%, and that BC students have the largest student loans in Canada.

“The Minister also claims that BC has a healthy combination of upfront grants, loans and bursaries,” said Paterson.  “If there are upfront grants available for students then that’s great news, but as far as we know the BC Government eliminated the provincial grants program in 2004 and has yet to reinstate it.”

Over the coming year, the Where’s the Funding?! campaign team will be organizing a wide range of campus events and getting students to directly contact Minister Yamamoto, asking the BC government for an immediate increase in funding to the post-secondary education system on a long-term basis.

Where’s The Funding?! is a joint-campaign organised by the UVic Students’ Society (UVSS), UBC Alma Mater Society (UBC AMS), Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS), Capilano Students’ Union (CSU) and Langara Students’ Union (LSU).

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