Students 'can't afford to sit this election out' as tuition spike remains grating issue: U of C Students' Union

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The University of Calgary Students’ Union is encouraging students to ensure their voices are heard during the provincial election, specifically on the issue of soaring tuition costs.

Mateusz Salmassi, the SU’s vice-president external, said the organization has signed up roughly 2,000 students to receive non-partisan election updates through its Get Out The Vote campaign. He said they’re working hard to get young voters to the polls on May 29, claiming students “literally can’t afford to sit this election out.”

“As students, we’ve just endured the largest tuition increases in Alberta’s history, and we’re paying much more and getting far less — and a lower quality of education,” said Salmassi. “Regardless of who forms government, we need to show that as students were engaged, and we won’t accept further attacks on the affordability of our education.”

NDP promises tuition freeze as UCP points to lowered cap, investments

Four-straight years of tuition increases, the latest approved in January, have seen costs for domestic students rise by 33 per cent on average since 2019.

The UCP rescinded a tuition freeze implemented by the NDP government elected in 2019, introducing a seven per cent cap on domestic tuition increases — a move that came with significant cuts to the post-secondary sector. In February, the UCP lowered that cap to two per cent effective for the 2024-25 academic year.

The Danielle Smith-led UCP’s platform on advanced education also reduced interest rates and doubled the grace period for student loans. On Tuesday, the party announced a series of measures to support jobs in trades and help high school students transition to the workforce or post-secondary.

“Improving the province’s education system has been a top priority for the UCP. That’s why we are building 106 new schools. That’s why we’re creating nearly 8,000 new seats in high-demand post-secondary programs. And that’s why we’re implementing a two per cent cap on tuition increases,” UCP Red Deer-North candidate Adriana LaGrange said at a Tuesday news conference.

Leader Rachel Notley and the NDP have committed to reversing the latest tuition hike and reinstating a freeze. The party says the move would save 300,000 Alberta students more than $100 million this year, and any future caps would be tied to inflation.

“Danielle Smith and the UCP cut post-secondary funding by nearly $700 million over their term, causing massive layoffs and reduced quality of education for Alberta students. As a post-secondary educator, I’ve seen the harm caused by these UCP cuts first-hand,” Shaun Fluker, NDP candidate for Airdrie-Cochrane, said in a written statement.

The parties have both pledged multiple post-secondary investments over the course of the campaign. The UCP has promised a graduation retention tax credit aimed at keeping Alberta graduates in Alberta, with credits between $3,000 and $10,000 for those who get a job in an in-demand field locally. The NDP has committed $200 million for a new post-secondary campus in downtown Calgary.

Additionally, both parties have committed to funding additional spaces at universities, specifically for in-demand fields such as health and STEM programs.

Election at mercy of youth turnout: polls

Recent polls have largely shown younger, university-aged voter support leaning toward the NDP.

Data released by Angus Reid last week suggested 49 per cent of men and 63 per cent of women aged 18 to 34 plan to back the NDP on May 29. The pollster said the fate of the election could hinge on the turnout of younger voters, who have been historically less likely to show up on election day.

“For Alberta’s New Democrats, success rests heavily on the shoulders of younger urban voters, who must turn up in large numbers to boost their party. While the UCP sits just behind the NDP in Calgary, its more reliable voting base may well prove an advantage,” reads the Angus Reid poll.

While not as many students are on campus through the spring and summer months, advance voting is available at the university through Friday at the U of C Hunter Student Commons and the Foothills Campus’ Heritage Medical Research Building.

The SU has also partnered with Village Ice Cream to offer free ice cream to students who snap a photo outside a polling station to prove they voted.

“Every party vying to form the next Alberta government needs to take young peoples’, young Albertans’ issues seriously, and also students’ issues seriously,” said Salmassi. “Young people are going to be motivated by real measures to tackle things like the affordable housing crisis, food insecurity, as well as the skyrocketing cost of education. And that’s why we’re working so hard to get students out to the polls.”

Mount Royal University also has advance voting available at Wyckham House on Wednesday and Thursday, and SAIT has an advance polling station open at the Stan Grad Centre through Thursday.

Election day is May 29.

mrodriguez@postmedia.com

Twitter: @michaelrdrguez