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Nova Scotia University Education Most Expensive in Canada and U.S. |
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Written by NS Liberal Party
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Thursday, 30 March 2006 |
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Liberal Education Critic Diana Whalen is calling on the Department of Education to take definitive action to relieve the financial strain on the province's university students following the release of a report that lists Nova Scotia as having the least affordable post-secondary education in Canada and the United States.
In a report called Beyond the 49th Parallel: The Affordability of University Education, the Educational Policy Institute compared four-year programs at public universities in both Canada and the United States. The organization used six measures of affordability - such as tuition costs, book expenses, and student aid levels - within the context of a median family pre-tax income. Nova Scotia ranked last among the 10 provinces and 50 states.
"This report should be a wake up call for the government," said Whalen. "We already knew Nova Scotia has the highest tuition rates in Canada. To find that this province is the least affordable when compared to the United States as well, shows clearly that our students are facing an unacceptable financial burden."
The Educational Policy Institute, a non-profit organization that conducts policy-based research on educational opportunities for students, attributed Nova Scotia's poor showing in the report to lower student aid and family incomes, and higher tuition costs. The report is based on the latest data available from the 2002-2003 school year and information from a similar 2004 report.
Whalen points out that the high cost of tuition in Nova Scotia has already begun to threaten enrolments at several universities. Acadia University has the highest tuition at $7,760 per year. Mount Saint Vincent University is number ten with a price tag of $5,340. These costs are basic tuition fees and do not include any student fees, books, living or transportation costs.
"This report gives government an idea of what students are up against," she said. "It needs to step in and find some solutions that will ease the pressure students now face." |
