Category: Tuition

The Childcare Debate and PSE (part 2)

Yesterday, we looked at the state of childcare policy in Canada, at least in the event of a continued Liberal government.  Today I want to walk through what the precedent set by the new childcare accords might mean for higher education. Many, including myself, have long maintained that the idea of the federal government coming in creating a national policy on tuition – whether it be “lower than at present” or zero – was essentially impossible because it involves paying provinces

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Support > Illumination

Some things never change.  Specifically, the demands of the academic left in Canada.  Take, for instance, the “Education for All Campaign” which was launched in late January. A joint project of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), the campaign produced this new report, which is not a new report in

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The Biden Re-Set

One of the most amazing things about Joe Biden’s presidency is that we don’t have to hear about it all the time.  For days – nay, weeks – on end, we can go about our business without thinking about what the US Head of State is doing or saying.  It’s brilliant.  But while the vacation is nice, it’s time to start paying attention again because very big things are afoot in DC with respect to higher education. It’s worth surveying

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Two New Data Points on the Effects of Tuition Fees

Over the past two decades, tuition rises in Canada have been relatively low: on average, we consistently see rises of about 1-2% above inflation, with almost no sudden upwards jags (though there was one sudden decrease when the Ford government cut tuition by 10% in Ontario in 2019).  This is quite different from the 1990s, when rises of inflation plus 5-6% was the norm and instances of tuition doubling (Quebec, 1990 to 1992) or increasing by over 50% (British Columbia,

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The Miracle of Ontario College Funding

Let me tell you a sad story about Ontario colleges.   In 2018-19, Ontario colleges got a huge influx of extra public money, about $120 million or so, or a bump of about 7%. I’m not exactly sure why – suspect a lot of it was money pushed out the door in the waning months of the Wynne administration.  But then times changed.  In 2019-20, government transfers to Ontario colleges fell by 10%.  And on top of that, the government slashed

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