Liberals Cut $16M From Educational Funding

[twitchyzero]

This is news to me
Poor students get fucked over.

Hundreds of post-secondary students looking for financial help this fall have been turned away by the province following a $16-million cut to the student-aid budget, The Vancouver Sun has learned.

Nursing, health care and home-support-worker programs are among those affected by the cuts, which were approved in June.


The Premier's Excellence Award, which distributes $15,000 scholarships to top high school students, was eliminated.

Students who can't afford to repay their student debt, or who are disabled and can't work, will no longer be eligible to have their loans forgiven.

It's all part of the government's bid to reduce costs by at least $1.9 billion over three years, $589 million of it this fiscal year.

The $116-million student aid budget was cut to $100 million.

At the same time, the government expects the number of students receiving aid to rise from 53,000 in 2008 to 75,000 this year.

Margaret Dhillon of the BC Nurses Union called funding cuts to the Nurses Education Bursary "shortsighted and "counter-intuitive."

"I don't know why they would even consider cutting that in a profession that is in such an acute shortage," Dhillon said.

Last year, the $2.66-million bursary program aided 630 nursing students. This year, only $1 million is available.

Dhillon worried the cuts may keep some students from going back to school. She said some students were likely counting on the money, and "this will now interrupt or end their education dreams or goals."

The provincial Health Care Bursary and the Premier's Excellence Award program -- worth about $1.4 million and $240,000, respectively -- are no longer available.

The government aims to save a further $1.4 million by abolishing the debt forgiveness program for 400 students who can't make monthly payments.

As well, the province will end a pilot program, worth $4.7 million, for loan-reduction assistance to students filling high-demand occupations, including residential care aides and home support workers.

Disabled students were also hit. Those who were eligible for loan forgiveness will now be required to apply for extended interest relief on their debt. The disabled benefits program, which aided about 350 students per year, was to end July 31, and will not be renewed.

"To be cutting student aid when students need to be paying for ever-increasing tuition fees, and when workers need retraining to get back to the workforce, is just really bad timing."

Reid also questioned the government's communication strategy for the cuts.

"It sound like it's been pretty secretive so far," he said.

I'm now officially anti-Liberal.
Why the fuck would they do this when tuition has increased over 250% in the past five years and still going up?? Why would they cut bursaries that support health care students when there's still a huge shortage. The health car bursary that supports a substantial amount of my tuition didn't just get cut, it was discontinued.
WHYY hit the students out of everyone...especially the disabled ones.

I know $16mill is not much in the grand schemes of things but it really messes up a lot of students when they decide to cut it so abruptly.

I'm even more pissed that they didn't make an announcement about it. I had to find out when the bursary links were no longer working.

rant!

[91LS-VTak]

as for the price of school going up so dramatically, blame the stupid NDP for putting a freeze on tuition increases for pretty much their entire term in office. This left tuitions way out of wack of where they should have been. Once the freeze was lifted costs rose quickly to make up for those many years of fixed costs.

And why the fuck would they forgive student loans? Good for them for getting rid of that program. Can't afford to pay it back? Shouldn't have borrowed it in the first place.

[liu13]

post secondary education is pretty damn cheap for university students i find

BC Liberals are ass clowns but we're dumb enough to re elect time after time

[impactX]

Unfortunately, the only people who care are students and parents with children who are going to post-secondary. The working class generally doesn't care.

[m!chael]

Too many students take loans when instead they could have worked the summer and paid their tuition. Anyone who can't find a job and make 6k during their 4 month summer in order to pay for school should not be going to university anyways.

[Gridlock]

Fuck this is annoying.

Seriously...political science in 30 seconds:

Economy goes bad-we strip the shit out of all the social programs to balance the books. So far we have seen healthcare cuts and education. Shocking.

Economy goes good-we pour money into fixing the social programs we gutted, usually after we dump the previous government for making the economy bad whether it was their fault or not.

Ecomomy goes bad-time to strip that program again.

I think from a logical standpoint, it costs more to fix the neglect from years of budget shortfalls.

Why can't we use the surpluses wisely knowing that of course the economy is going to turn at some point.

Why...WHY do we always act like a recession is a surprise?

Oh, and it gets worse at the end of this liberal term. They know they won't get elected again and are acting as though they won't. That means even Carole James stands a chance of getting elected.

[03aspec]

Originally Posted by m!chael

Too many students take loans when instead they could have worked the summer and paid their tuition. Anyone who can't find a job and make 6k during their 4 month summer in order to pay for school should not be going to university anyways.

exactly, if in one year, i can afford to pay off a $14,000 car loan and pay $4,000 for a course i did at bcit, why the fuck cant others?

also, if NDP is in government with carol james, i will leave this province for as long as that dumb cunt is premier.

[CorneringArtist]

Maybe because people who can pay for university though summer jobs had the connections to do so.

Now I'm fucked if I want to go to BCIT next year, there's very little in terms of scholarships after this bullshit.

[91LS-VTak]

even if you can't pay the cost of ur tuition with a summer job, you can take out a student loan. Then after you're finished school you get a j-o-b and pay back the loan!

[rslater]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

This is news to me
Poor students get fucked over.

How are you a poor student? Tuition for 10 full time classes a year is $5000. Lets add $800 to books, and $200 for fees and a u-pass. So you need $6 grand for school. During the 8 months of school you need to make $187.5 a week to pay for it. Lets say you get a job paying $13 an hour, you need to work 14 hours a week. Thats 3, 4.5 hour shifts.

If you can't manage that, then you won't be able to manage the real world.

Now lets not forget that you have 4 months of summer. You should be able to bank $2000 a month, so thats $8 grand. If you are having troubles saving on these potential parameters, then reevaluate what the fuck your buying, or go to America and enjoy $20,000 + a year.

[pandalove]

Please allow me .....*ahemmm

FUCKING SKYTRAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

reason : .. budgets cuts to pay for it

[oinkoinkpig]

fuck the olympics too while you're at it

[twitchyzero]

Maybe you guys should really do some research before replying.

Forgiveness program isn't one you sign up and your debt magically disappears. For most it means you work for a publically funded entity or as a health care worker serve in the rural areas. They'll only forgive your BC loans which is only around 1/3 of a student's debt max. Now I can see how this is still controversial, but definately suck balls for the disabled grads.

Nursing/Health care bursary. Our province is in dire need of more workers in this field. Many degrees in this field costs a lot more than your general studies undergrad degree. Bursaries ARE critical despite what you may think. Why would we shoot ourselves in the foot now? People take out loans because there are some good jobs to be had after grad but there's a hefty investment before you get there. Not everyone goes to spend it on car modding and clubbing or taking useless Japanese courses.

Like I said, too bad Campbell was too pussy shit to announce this to our face. This thread wasn't meant to be pro-NDP either.

and just because some people on RS works full time in the summer and can pay off their entire tuition doesn't mean it applies to everyone. The majority are still attending school in the summer months and can only work so much.

[twitchyzero]

Originally Posted by rslater

How are you a poor student? Tuition for 10 full time classes a year is $5000. Lets add $800 to books, and $200 for fees and a u-pass. So you need $6 grand for school. During the 8 months of school you need to make $187.5 a week to pay for it. Lets say you get a job paying $13 an hour, you need to work 14 hours a week. Thats 3, 4.5 hour shifts.

If you can't manage that, then you won't be able to manage the real world.

Now lets not forget that you have 4 months of summer. You should be able to bank $2000 a month, so thats $8 grand. If you are having troubles saving on these potential parameters, then reevaluate what the fuck your buying, or go to America and enjoy $20,000 + a year.

$5000? 200 for fees? Yeah...maybe at college level. This was pprobably the rate at university in 2006 and it's gone up a quite bit since then.

Yeah, cause all of my monthly income is going towards school, yep i dont need to pay for food and rent. It's cool I can chew on my textbooks.

oh yeah, good job comparing our system to the US. I wonder how many big annual or entrance scholarships to population ratio they have vs the canadian ones.

[iEatClams]

Originally Posted by 91LS-VTak

And why the fuck would they forgive student loans? Good for them for getting rid of that program. Can't afford to pay it back? Shouldn't have borrowed it in the first place.

Amen.

Some of the people borrow student loans don't even need them. Many are from well off family and only borrow it to buy cars or put away in interest bearing savings accounts.

Why should the working class pay taxes and subsidize for people who take "history" or "asian studies" degrees that don't end up with decent jobs.

For my degree at UBC. I worked 40-50 hours a week from right after finals in April to end of August. I would make like $8K a summer, this helped pay for most of my tuition and expenses so I didn't had to borrow as much from student loans.

[iEatClams]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

Maybe you guys should really do some research before replying.

Forgiveness program isn't one you sign up and your debt magically disappears. For most it means you work for a publically funded entity or as a health care worker serve in the rural areas. They'll only forgive your BC loans which is only around 1/3 of a student's debt max. Now I can see how this is still controversial, but definately suck balls for the disabled grads.

Nursing/Health care bursary. Our province is in dire need of more workers in this field. Many degrees in this field costs a lot more than your general studies undergrad degree. Bursaries ARE critical despite what you may think. Why would we shoot ourselves in the foot now? People take out loans because there are some good jobs to be had after grad but there's a hefty investment before you get there. Not everyone goes to spend it on car modding and clubbing or taking useless Japanese courses.

Like I said, too bad Campbell was too pussy shit to announce this to our face. This thread wasn't meant to be pro-NDP either.

and just because some people on RS works full time in the summer and can pay off their entire tuition doesn't mean it applies to everyone. The majority are still attending school in the summer months and can only work so much.

very very good points. and I understand not all students can work during the summer months so it all depends on the individual and theres certainly different cases.

But usually in a recession the government has to cut costs. It's still has to operate like a business, when the revenues decrease, they still have loans and debt that they need to honour, and in order for them to do that they need to make lots of cuts.

[misteranswer]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

I wonder how many big annual or entrance scholarships to population ratio they have vs the canadian ones.

If you go to any ivy league school, they don't even give scholarships

[twitchyzero]

^ none of the canadian universities are in the same caliber as ivy league so i'd say it's not the most relevant case in the thread

and the way i see it ivy league school doesnt actually offer that much better of an education, but it's more about the networking and the connections you make..but that's unrelated to the thread.

and i do know ivy leagues that give out large entrance scholarships but are generally insufficient because it's just so much more $$$

[misteranswer]

Originally Posted by twitchyzero

and i do know ivy leagues that give out large entrance scholarships but are generally insufficient because it's just so much more $$$

Those are more like bursaries, given out based on financial need.

[will068]

I was one of the lucky ones who finished school on time, without debt, and lucky enough to find 4 high paying easy jobs whiel at school (relative to not having education and practical trades skill) to easily pay for my expenses.

However, please think about the some individuals who may not be as lucky:

- single mothers: maybe we can tell to why did they spread their legs open and have a kid with some dude who would leave them while they are not financially prepared to have a family

- individuals with disability: how about to the hard working guy who got in a major accident and is not unable to work because of the physical pain.

- your average student: we can chastise this individual and say that we should tell him/her to study harder and get more scholarships (private or public)

- the parents of the less fortunate students: we can also blame the parents of these students for being irresponsible pieces of crap and not look after their child's education. How the fuck can you not look after you child's education? And please, don't use the excuse that you have to teach them the value of money and how to strive. Individual's should have these attributes at an early age. You should teach your kid's how be responsible adult's when they have their own kid's and not sell them out right after high school. And please, don't tell me you can't afford it now because you've been out of a job for over a year now. You're the fucking breadwinner of the family


Please recognize the sarcasm I placed in all those comments. All of us are not us lucky, nor placed in a situation where we can easily get out of. One of the most important lessons I learned while I traversed through university is understanding the paradigm of other individuals.

[ienhz]

Originally Posted by rslater

How are you a poor student? Tuition for 10 full time classes a year is $5000.

I'm going to SFU right now and tuition for three 3-credit courses is about $2200. I think it's closer to $7,000-8,000 for a 30 credit year.

[twitchyzero]

^ im currently taking 40 credit..not cause i'm a super geek or anything but it's actually required. most engineering students are taking on this much credits a year as well.

will068 good post

[Meowjin]

i think this thread just proves that revscene is full of ignorant assholes.

[raygunpk]

Originally Posted by MajinHurricane

i think this thread just proves that revscene is full of ignorant assholes.

Or that they all have photographic memory and/or only drink water to survive.

[GLOW]

drinking water and living off of rice