For years, the Student Union of Vancouver Community College (SUVCC) has been pushing for more affordable and accessible education along with other student organisations in BC. This includes advocating for free Adult Basic Education (ABE) at post-secondary institutions, eliminating interest on student loans, and ensuring fairness for international students.
Despite these advocacy efforts, students are still facing the same issues they faced five years ago. From skyrocketing housing costs and high grocery bills to increased tuition fees. Now, with recent changes to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) concerning international students, there are even bigger implications for BC’s post-secondary sector.
Meetings with Provincial Government
SUVCC continues to fight for students. We recently met with the Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, Anne Kang, MLA Joan Phillip, and MLA Sunita Dhir. We voiced our concerns about the struggles students are facing on campus, highlighting the need for more funding to support post-secondary institutions across BC.
Tuition fees in BC have more than doubled since 2001, and the proportion of public funding for institutions has dropped to a mere 41.1%. As a result, universities and colleges are increasingly relying on international student fees to fill the gaps. With the recent federal changes limiting the number of international study permits available, we’re deeply concerned about the impact on both international and domestic students.
SUVCC is urging the provincial government to invest more in the post-secondary sector so that students don’t bear the burden of these financial shortfalls.
Your Voice Matters
If you want to join the call for more funding and stand up against cuts to campus resources, now’s the time to take action.
BCFS Annual General Meeting: Building a Stronger Student Voice
In January, your student representatives attended the BC Federation of Students (BCFS) 43rd Annual General Meeting. The British Columbia Federation of Students is a provincial alliance of more than 170,000 students at 14 universities, colleges and institutes in every part of BC. We work together to provide students with an effective and unified voice in advocating for an affordable and accessible education.
The meeting was packed with important discussions about how student unions can continue to advocate for affordable and accessible education and how student unions can collaborate with other partners in the sector on shared goals. Your representatives also had discussions on how to tackle affordability issues on campus.
SUVCC is excited to bring these ideas back to VCC and continue our advocacy work.
As we navigate this semester, SUVCC remains committed to fighting for affordable and accessible education. It’s important to remember that we are stronger together. If you are interested in getting more involved, please check out our volunteer opportunities.