On Sept. 18, the Students’ Association of MacEwan University (SAMU) published an open letter calling on the Alberta government to reconsider changes made to the student aid program.
The letter, co-signed by president Nathan N. Poon and vice-president (external) Alem Tesfay, expressed “deep concern” regarding the government’s changes to the program.
“This change will have catastrophic results for students,” they wrote, arguing the change could disproportionately affect students from less wealthy families while benefiting those who can already “afford to pursue their desired path.”
SAMU says that the increase in the mandatory minimum student contribution from $1,500 to $3,000 is poised to worsen the already alarming state of student affordability in the province.
“For many, an increase in minimum contribution will be the difference between having access to higher education, and being priced out.”
— Students’ Association of MacEwan University
SAMU also says that the new requirements regarding parental and spousal contributions threaten the ability of “students in complex, unsafe or abusive home dynamics” to pursue an education, specifically pointing out potential harms to women, who face a greatly heightened “risk of coercion.”
Alberta’s minister of advanced education, Myles McDougall, defended the changes during a press conference on Sept. 11, saying “it’s fair to expect people who can afford to contribute to the cost of the education, as they do in the rest of the country, should be expected to contribute.” The minister went on to say the government would use those resources to expand academic opportunities for students.
