Hiking tuition fees won’t get us through a fiscal crisis, and could harm those who need help the most

Joshua Fleming says the tuition for hiking could be detrimental to the younger Newfoundland and Labrador populations. (John Gushue / CBC)

This column is an opinion from Joshua Fleming, who lives in St. John’s.

Since 1999, students in Newfoundland and Labrador have benefited from a study freeze. However, in response to the provincial budget, Vianne Timmons, president of Memorial University, said an increase in tuition fees was inevitable.

Most of us have accepted that this long-term study freeze has to come to an end at some point, but I would like to cite a counter-argument.

I completed a degree in philosophy and completed two master’s degrees in political science. I was the academic vice president of the Grenfell College Student Union and served on the Memorial University Senate from 2008-09. I always thought that our province was going in the right direction with the tuition fees.

In my opinion, every student deserves a needs-based scholarship – there are no wealthy students, only students with wealthy parents. The European countries recognize this, but we seem to prefer an American approach.

Having worked in government finance for the past five years, I want to try to convince you that the $ 68 million needed to tackle the financial crisis should come from progressive taxes, not tuition.

Students have no money

Students pay for their education in opportunity costs. If you are studying full-time, you cannot work full-time. Borrowing for these costs is painful enough without the additional burden of tuition fees. Paying for textbooks has become a significant burden as costs increased 88 percent between 2006 and 2016.

Some will argue that the taxpayer shouldn’t subsidize a liberal arts education, a degree that really doesn’t prepare a person for the world of work. This may sound anecdotally correct, but data shows that humanities graduates earn 40 to 50 percent more than the average income. In addition, liberal arts are cheap to teach, as the STEM faculties are major cost drivers in the post-secondary sector. For example, a lab is more expensive than a guy who is paid to teach, say Foucault.

Vianne Timmons, president of Memorial University, said the institution will need to increase tuition fees for new students over the next year. The amount has not yet been decided. (Paul Daly / CBC)

Don’t forget why it’s called Memorial University

I gathered this from the MUN website: “By the end of the war, nearly 1,500 of our brave soldiers had died in battle. This tragedy would be mourned for generations to come, so it was decided that a school should be built as a memorial to those Newfoundlanders who died on active duty. “

Perspectives matter: read more NL opinion columns from our contributors

Post-secondary education costs were paid for by the 1,500 boys who died in combat. We have an obligation to help the youth of this province reach their full potential, with all the benefits of post-secondary education. Memorial is not like other universities; it honors lost lives and grieving families. When we founded Memorial, we had a policy that linked our students’ education and success to lost lives. She does not honor creating barriers through teaching.

Our craft is the backbone of our economy

As it stands, our economy is based on the extraction of natural resources, a sector that needs a skilled workforce. The College of the North Atlantic has responded excellently to the changing needs of our economy, and it would be short-sighted to obstruct its student recruitment efforts.

The College of the North Atlantic’s largest campus is on Prince Philip Drive in St. John’s. (Paul Daly / CBC)

Research shows that a $ 100 increase in tuition and fees would decrease enrollment by approximately 0.25 percent. Our new graduates are the most agile members of our workforce and need to respond to changing work demands.

There are other ways to raise the capital needed to tackle the financial crisis. Increasing tuition fees is probably the most regressive measure.

Tax those who can afford it, protect those who can’t.

This financial crisis is a storm, but as Newfoundlands and Labradorians we have dealt with storms before. Make yourself comfortable, make sure our most vulnerable are protected, and wait for it to be over.

Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/hiking-tuition-fees-wont-get-us-through-a-fiscal-crisis-and-could-harm-those-who-need-help-the-most/