Lethbridge students’ groups among those asking province to boost post-secondary funding

A stock photo of an empty classroom. (Pixabay/Pexels)

Two Lethbridge student group are among those who have signed an open letter asking the provincial government for more funding for post-secondary institutions.

The letter, addressed to the Government of Alberta and published on Tuesday, calls for grant funding for the province’s public and nonprofit post-secondary institutions to be restored.

The Lethbridge Polytechnic Students’ Association (LPSA) and the University of Lethbridge Students’ Union (ULSU) are among 25 students’ associations who signed the letter.

ULSU president Maleeka Thomas says since the UCP was elected in 2019, the U of L has seen a 20 per cent reduction in its operating grant, or about $22 million.

“We’ve felt it through the quality of education we’re receiving, we’ve felt it through the classroom sizes we’re seeing, as well as the different academic supports were getting,” she said.

While she says the province’s two per cent tuition cap for domestic students has helped – the cost for supplies, building fees and residence has continued to increase.

“We’ve also seen where there’s [fewer] classes being offered in the upper-level courses,” Thomas said.

“Students are having to resort to taking an extra year or extra semester of schooling, just because that class isn’t being offered because there’s not enough faculty.”

In a statement to CTV News, the University of Lethbridge said “stable and predictable funding is critical to ensure Alberta’s post-secondary institutions are able to undertake the teaching and research activities that benefit individuals and communities.”

It goes on to say that the federal government’s cap on international student visas is also impacting its bottom line.

“Canada’s post-secondary institutions are facing increased uncertainty due to ongoing changes being made by the federal government to the International Students Program, including admission caps and program eligibility. This has significantly impacted the reputation of Canada’s international student market and significantly impacted international application numbers across the country – including at the University of Lethbridge”

Tuesday’s open letter is calling on the province to increase funding as part of budget 2025.

“Students are choosing to pursue their education in other provinces, in other cities and even other countries – and I think we’re losing talent here,” Thomas said.

In response, Minister of Advanced Education Rajan Sawhney said in a statement that his top priority is “listening and responding to the concerns of Alberta students.”

“While Budget 2025 discussions continue, we have undertaken significant consultation with a range of stakeholders, including students and student unions.”

“Last year, we allocated over $1.4 billion to help Alberta’s students access a post-secondary education, including loans, grants, bursaries, awards, and scholarships – all of which can be used to support living costs.”

Thomas says she’s not optimistic that their concerns will be heard.

“We, honestly, aren’t expecting a lot from the budget, but we would definitely be surprised -- and we would love to see a surprise -- if there is a large investment in our post-secondary education,” she said.

Thomas says if things don’t change, more students are going to suffer and choose not to pursue post-secondary educations.

The province says the Mintz Panel, which was established last December, will provide recommendations later this year to further assist in “ensuring that funding levels are appropriate and used in the most effective way possible to support student success.”

The U of L says it will fully participate in the panel as investment is needed to support the significant increase of students expected to enter the system in the coming years.