After months of back and forth, the Saskatchewan government has announced $250 million in additional funding over four years for post-secondary institutions.
Many of these institutions have been feeling financial frustrations over the past year due to the loss of international students. The federal government instituted an international student cap last year.
“The common challenge experienced in Saskatchewan, and across the country, is, of course, the changes to the … policy regarding international students,” University of Saskatchewan vice-president Patti McDougall said.
University of Regina president Jeff Keshen said, “Quite frankly, as I just came back from India and Sri Lanka and it has damaged our international reputation abroad.”
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As part of the Saskatchewan government’s deal, annual grants will increase by three per cent on top of the now-permanent one per cent increase in operating funding announced earlier this year.
The tuition increase cap has also been lowered to three per cent from the previous four.
The Opposition NDP says the agreement is too little too late, citing the recent layoffs at Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
“We should not be in this position in the first place. We need to properly fund our post-secondary schools,” NDP education critic Tajinder Grewal said.
Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff suggested the funding could help that situation.
“It’s unfortunate that they had to make some layoffs but it’s happened before and people have been hired back. This gives Sask Poly the wherewithal to make those decisions moving forward,” Cheveldayoff said.
Although this funding will not make up for the loss of many international students, Cheveldayoff says efforts to help stabilize post-secondary institutions will continue.
“As a minister, I will be working with my colleagues across the country to lobby the federal government. I think the pendulum has sprung too far against international students and has to come back,” Cheveldayoff said.
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