While riding transit to work this morning, I saw an ad for the local NDP candidates running in the upcoming provincial election. One of the platform points was the following:
Reduce tuition fees to 1999-2000 levels, and fully fund a tuition freeze thereafter.
Alberta is at a critical point right now. Post-secondary enrolment of high school students (particularly at universities) is the lowest it’s been in years. Reducing tuition may serve to encourage more high school students to enter post-secondary rather than trying to make it rich in Fort Mac.
At the same time, Inflation has not remained stagnant over the last 8 years. It has increased. The cost to run a university is higher than it was in 1999.
I wonder then how the Alberta NDP plans to allow universities to match increasing operational costs every year if tuition isn’t raised. Will they increase provincial funding? If so, where will that money come from?
Where will that money come from?
This is the question I find myself asking when I read about many NDP initiatives.
Unless they draw the funds directly from increased oil levies, I’m not sure how they hope to accomplish it.
I’m afraid that most Albertans would rather see their money going into the infrastructure debt than to aid university or college students.
If that is the case, what is their contingency plan for when the surplus runs out, or when the oil sands dry out and we lose our royalties?
Good question…