Much of the media coverage of the Quebec student protests hasdismissed the protesters as spoiled children trying to protecttheir unfair privilege (Quebec has the lowest tuition in thecountry). The vast majority of today s university students do, in fact, comefrom relatively well-off families. But rather than weakening theirposition, this supports the protesters claims that we have aserious problem with access to education a problem that wouldonly worsen with tuition hikes. Low tuition is not an unfair entitlement for students; it issensible public policy.
Here are five reasons why we should supportlow tuition everywhere in Canada. 1) Making university education affordable would allow moreCanadians to access this key tool for social mobility. The evidence is clear: university education is a route toconsiderably higher lifetime earnings and the financial benefit ofhaving a university degree has increased over the past 20 years.Yet, in a time of sharply rising income inequality, this ladder toa better life is only accessible to some Canadians. 2) Financial barriers to education impact Canada s economicwell-being. An educated and highly skilled workforce is a crucial element forthe continued economic and social development of Canada.
But whenthe ability to pay becomes a deciding factor in who gets educationand who doesn t, our country loses the chance to benefit from theskills and capabilities of many of its citizens. Because financialbarriers to education reduce social mobility, inequality willincrease, with all the associated social and economic costs tosociety, including increased health- and justice-system costs andworsening social tension. 3) Higher learning is becoming a standard job requirement. Advanced education increasingly affects people s ability tocompete in the labour market, the types of jobs they obtain, andthe incomes they are able to earn. Fever Cooling Patch
In B.C., it is estimated that more than three-quarters of new jobswill require some form of post-secondary education. The figures aresimilar for Canada as a whole. This is why it is now more importantthan ever to ensure all Canadians have access to advancededucation. Yet, instead of increasing financial support for higher education,governments have steadily withdrawn from funding universities.Government funding has fallen from 84 per cent to 58 per cent ofuniversity operating budgets over the past 30 years. It s time for Canada to increase our public investment in highereducation and reduce the burden that high tuition imposes onstudents and their families. Alkaline Water Pitcher
We already provide elementary andsecondary education to all Canadians free of charge. Why not extendour public education system to cover post- secondary education? 4) Student loans don t make up for high tuition. We know this because students from lower-income backgroundscontinue to be under-represented in universities despite theavailability of student loans. Instead of improving access toeducation, student loans result in high debt loads for those youthfrom lower- and modest-income families who manage to make it touniversity against the odds. China Alkaline Water Ionizer
The average student debt at graduationwith a bachelor s degree program was $27,000 in 2009. This is fundamentally inequitable, because it means that studentswho take out loans end up paying considerably more for the sameeducation (through interest on their debt) than their peers whoseparents can afford the tuition up front. In addition, StatisticsCanada analysis shows that student debt continues to affectCanadians finances, with borrowers less likely to have savingsand investments, and less likely to own their homes. 5) Education is a great investment for our public dollars: studentsrepay the full cost of their education through taxes over theirworking careers.
The conventional argument that students are heavily subsidizedbecause tuition does not cover the full costs of their educationignores an important way in which students repay the cost of theireducation: through higher taxes after graduation. In a recent studypublished by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Iquantified these additional taxes paid by university graduates inB.C. It turns out that when these tax payments are added up overthe course of graduates careers, B.C. university students as agroup pay more than double what their education costs. The researchis clear: it s economically feasible and much more fair to reducethe financial barriers to education by lowering tuition to nominallevels.
Increasing public funding for higher education is not only a soundfinancial investment for our public dollars it s an investmentin a healthier, better-educated and more equitable society. *** Iglika Ivanova is an economist with the Canadian Centre for PolicyAlternatives and author of Paid in Full: Who Pays for UniversityEducation in B.C.?.
Here are five reasons why we should supportlow tuition everywhere in Canada. 1) Making university education affordable would allow moreCanadians to access this key tool for social mobility. The evidence is clear: university education is a route toconsiderably higher lifetime earnings and the financial benefit ofhaving a university degree has increased over the past 20 years.Yet, in a time of sharply rising income inequality, this ladder toa better life is only accessible to some Canadians. 2) Financial barriers to education impact Canada s economicwell-being. An educated and highly skilled workforce is a crucial element forthe continued economic and social development of Canada.
But whenthe ability to pay becomes a deciding factor in who gets educationand who doesn t, our country loses the chance to benefit from theskills and capabilities of many of its citizens. Because financialbarriers to education reduce social mobility, inequality willincrease, with all the associated social and economic costs tosociety, including increased health- and justice-system costs andworsening social tension. 3) Higher learning is becoming a standard job requirement. Advanced education increasingly affects people s ability tocompete in the labour market, the types of jobs they obtain, andthe incomes they are able to earn. Fever Cooling Patch
In B.C., it is estimated that more than three-quarters of new jobswill require some form of post-secondary education. The figures aresimilar for Canada as a whole. This is why it is now more importantthan ever to ensure all Canadians have access to advancededucation. Yet, instead of increasing financial support for higher education,governments have steadily withdrawn from funding universities.Government funding has fallen from 84 per cent to 58 per cent ofuniversity operating budgets over the past 30 years. It s time for Canada to increase our public investment in highereducation and reduce the burden that high tuition imposes onstudents and their families. Alkaline Water Pitcher
We already provide elementary andsecondary education to all Canadians free of charge. Why not extendour public education system to cover post- secondary education? 4) Student loans don t make up for high tuition. We know this because students from lower-income backgroundscontinue to be under-represented in universities despite theavailability of student loans. Instead of improving access toeducation, student loans result in high debt loads for those youthfrom lower- and modest-income families who manage to make it touniversity against the odds. China Alkaline Water Ionizer
The average student debt at graduationwith a bachelor s degree program was $27,000 in 2009. This is fundamentally inequitable, because it means that studentswho take out loans end up paying considerably more for the sameeducation (through interest on their debt) than their peers whoseparents can afford the tuition up front. In addition, StatisticsCanada analysis shows that student debt continues to affectCanadians finances, with borrowers less likely to have savingsand investments, and less likely to own their homes. 5) Education is a great investment for our public dollars: studentsrepay the full cost of their education through taxes over theirworking careers.
The conventional argument that students are heavily subsidizedbecause tuition does not cover the full costs of their educationignores an important way in which students repay the cost of theireducation: through higher taxes after graduation. In a recent studypublished by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Iquantified these additional taxes paid by university graduates inB.C. It turns out that when these tax payments are added up overthe course of graduates careers, B.C. university students as agroup pay more than double what their education costs. The researchis clear: it s economically feasible and much more fair to reducethe financial barriers to education by lowering tuition to nominallevels.
Increasing public funding for higher education is not only a soundfinancial investment for our public dollars it s an investmentin a healthier, better-educated and more equitable society. *** Iglika Ivanova is an economist with the Canadian Centre for PolicyAlternatives and author of Paid in Full: Who Pays for UniversityEducation in B.C.?.