scrubbedexpat091

Nee Brunswick gets it. Starting in the 2016-2017 school year, low income and some middle income students will receive tuition free post secondary education.

Students with a household income under 60,000 will be eligible.



http://globalnews.ca/news/2638283/new-brunswick-government-announces-free-tuition-for-low-income-students/

BristolUK

Sometimes NB offers up a surprise.

There have been a number of good initiatives since the last government change.

When I was first here, the Liberal and Conservative parties appeared to be wearing the wrong hats. It all seemed bassackwards.

Tangram

A good move, unfortunately I gain no benefit and still pay full fees with no scholarships for my daughter, but I still think it's a good move.

scrubbedexpat091

They seem to have a smart govt at the moment...

BC has made education pricey, even charge for high school upgrading classes now which makes edication even pricer for those students who need significant upgrading.

MillieF

I think it's a good move too. I could benefit, as my son is presently in 10th Grade, and heaven knows what the future may bring.

I do so hope that the new government can give the hope of a better tomorrow for the Atlantic Provinces; I know the rest of Canada is having financial problems, but this area is up economic shit creek big time.

Oink

Its an admirable idea but it'll be a disaster in practice. They won't be able to afford it properly so they'l have to ration places and those places will be taken up by middle class students who possess greater cultural capital and thus will be able to manipulate the system for their own benefit. So the extra taxes that will be needed will go to benefit students who can already afford to attend. You'll end up with lower income people paying for higher income earners to attend HE.

Tangram

Probably end up like Newfoundland and Labrador with huge tax rises to pay for it along with the deficit - time then to grab my coat and bugger off

Oink

HE is incredibly expensive and good HE is even more so.

scrubbedexpat091

But the current system excludes low income students. Student loan system is not adequate to cover the costs and the costs needed are far higher then low income folks can earn to cover the costs.

Consider you need post secondary education to have any hope at a future and career that doesnt pay peanuts, the govt has to do something to open up the education system to those who cant afford it.

Only thing keeping me from a skill is money, well lack of it but nsing in BC we have little in the way of getting an education or skill if student loans are not an option.

Oink

You're right of course, but here's the difficulty. Most programs that try to address this problem get co-opted and abused by people who can already afford HE. The only viable way to make funding available to lower income people but create a disincentive to the middle class. The GI bill is a great example of this type of program. There is no magical bullet to solve this issue. The best way would be for a unified and comprehensive effort in public schools but given the diffused nature of public education in North America, this is a highly unlikely scenario.

Plus given your age the system doesn't want to invest in someone who has only 20-25 year working life left. Its unfair and distasteful but its the reality.

scrubbedexpat091

Costs the system more to not have me working, but whatever floats their boat.

Its the same with mental health, would be cheaper to provide the therapy needed than it was to keep me in hosipital for 6 weeks. But somehow that was more cost efficient.

Government thinking in most of Canada makes no sense.

If I were single, I would leave this place so fast.

If they check tax returns for this to verify income is under 60k, not really sure how anyone could fake they are poor.

60k is pretty middle class so its benefitting more then just the poor.

Oink

There's ways. They take lower paid jobs as their children near 18, they pay their utility bills ten years in advance to qualify for loans and scholarships, change ownership of assets etc. When you're facing $50k to $250k to put a kid through university, you'll find ways if you're smart enough.

NB is a poor province they're are never going to be able to fund this program to any responsible degree without crippling the taxpayer. At best its political theatre, at worst it naive and potentially damaging policy. Their [NB] best bet would be to fund public school system to high level plus give massive corporate tax incentives.

BristolUK

If you're greedy and privileged with absolutely no bloody conscience, yes. Seems to go hand in hand.

Almost Canadian

Not just greedy and privileged.

Lots of people choose to be underemployed and then claim benefits that, if they were in work, they likely wouldn't qualify for and expect other taxpayers to pick up the tab. They, too, may be greedy, I don't know if they would qualify for your definition of privileged.

On my definition of having "no bloody conscience" I would place them into the same category as, I suspect, you would.

dbd33

Just as an example of how programs aimed at benefitting the poor actually benefit the wrong people, I get the GST/HST rebate without being poor.

I funded my children's education (one degree each), taking any tax breaks that come with that but making no other related effort. When the parental funding ran out one went to BC in large part because, after bursary and scholarship and whatnot, it was the cheapest school available to her. I don't follow education costs closely but this seems at variance with a post above.