Over the past four years our federal and provincial governments have increased spending on student loans, grants and education-related tax credits by more than $1.4-billion, boosting the total to a record $5.7-billion. Most of the new money is intended to reduce costs for students — by freezing tuition fees, for instance — and entice recent graduates to reside in their jurisdictions through graduate tax credits.
Governments seem to prefer providing benefits to people already engaged in post-secondary education rather than assisting those most in need. In British Columbia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, every dollar of new money has been invested in universal student-support measures instead of need-based ones. In some of the cases, lower-income students are actually worse off. The so-called "welfare wall" is not easy to navigate around.
Proponents argue that these actions will in turn make postsecondary education more accessible — just the tonic for what ails the Canadian system. The thinking is that holding the line on tuition increases will benefit everyone and enable underrepresented individuals to flock to an otherwise inaccessible system.
If only it were that simple. The barriers that prevent some students from going to university are not just financial in nature; they come into play years before individuals graduate high school and check their bank balances to see whether they can afford tuition.
Opening the door to more students involves spending money wisely. (PHILIP CHEUNG FOR THE GLOBE AND MAIL)
Young people from high-income backgrounds are three times more likely than their low-income counterparts to attend university, so freezing or reducing fees ensures the majority of the benefits flow to those already in the system or those on track to enter it. Students from higher-income backgrounds are more academically prepared coming out of high school, an important point since a growing number of programs require high grades for entrance. They also have greater access to tutors, mentors and general support and, most importantly, have a parent (or two) with some postsecondary experience.
Reducing tuition does nothing to narrow the yawning gap in academic performance between low-income high school students and their high-income counterparts. Basic literacy, math and science skills cannot be bought. Our leaders cannot change things simply by tinkering with the sticker price of education.
In addition, the majority of loans and grants in Canada are delivered on the basis of financial need. Students with higher costs and fewer resources get more money. While this seems logical, it does not mean that students from low-income families are necessarily favoured. A student from a middle-class background moving away from home to enroll in a high-cost program — think medicine or dentistry — will have access to more government assistance than a student from a low-income family who lives at home and pursues a less costly course of studies.
Policy makers often muse that money needs to be given either to individuals or institutions, and Canadian governments are indeed investing record amounts in student support programs and grants to institutions. The problem is the money is not being spent wisely; too much is being scattered thinly throughout the system. Recent policy decisions are diverting resources from underrepresented Canadians and depriving institutions of badly needed operating and capital monies. The system cannot continue to be all things to all people.
It is important to remember that all this new money is flowing to universities as the number of students has increased 25 per cent over five years. The majority of the funding is really just backfilling after more than a decade of government neglect. Compared with 20 years ago, it is fair to say that institutions are still being asked to do more with less.
It's time to put this rather sad trend behind us. Canada's postsecondary education system is well positioned to contribute to the country's economic growth, but some changes will be necessary.
Educational opportunities for traditionally underrepresented students such as aboriginals and first generation learners need to be expanded. Jurisdictions would be wise to follow the lead of the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation and the governments of Ontario and Canada. They are targeting mainly low-income families and providing non-repayable grants to offset rising education costs. These grants reduce the financial barriers to college or university in two ways: by making attendance more affordable and by affecting early perceptions about whether a realistic opportunity to study even exists.
Additional financial resources are needed to ensure these students succeed. Institutional student services and support need to be enhanced. The transformation will need to be more than structural and will take leadership and commitment at all levels.
In addition, libraries could use a major cash infusion to provide necessary resources for all students and faculty. The intense global competition for faculty will ensure that recruitment and retention initiatives are going to be increasingly important and costly. More faculty members will be required to ensure quality does not slip; class sizes cannot continue to grow or student-faculty interaction will suffer. This means additional graduate students will be required to prime the supply chain.
Despite the false facade of construction from coast to coast, years of deferred maintenance still cast a shadow. And more scholarships will be required to plug holes in the student financial-assistance system.
Canadians looking to improve access and enhance the quality of postsecondary education should be concerned with recent government actions. As countries around the globe increase educational capacity and opportunity, our policy makers must not be content with the way things are. We cannot afford to sit idle and let other jurisdictions continue to build their systems.
Changing the status quo will not be easy or cheap, however. Stakeholders and politicians must buy in and ensure that accessibility for all students is promoted. Tough choices will need to be made. Some will undoubtedly feel disappointment.
These changes must occur. There is simply too much at stake.
Sean Junor is the manager of knowledge mobilization of the Educational Policy Institute.
9
