For Immediate Release
February 28, 2023
VICTORIA, BC – Budget 2023 certainly has wins for students, but not enough. While the AMS celebrates student loan maximums being doubled, investments into building student housing, and free prescription contraception, barriers to accessing and completing post-secondary education remain. “It is important, in regards to the post-secondary education sphere, that all aspects of education of the post-secondary experience are improved in order to break down barriers to accessing it. Students need to afford their education, tackle cost of living challenges such as finding a livable space and food security, and feel safe on their campuses. Until education is truly equitable and accessible, education will remain a privilege rather than what it should be – a right.” says Erin Co, the Vice President External Affairs for the Alma Mater Society (AMS) of UBC.
Student Affordability
In response to the release of the BC Budget 2023, the AMS is glad to see the doubling of the student loan maximum. Additionally, we are happy to see that the provincial government is increasing the Repayment Assistance Program (RAP) income levels to match the federal government’s. “While the AMS welcomes these long overdue changes to student loans, these changes do nothing to address the root causes of the affordability crisis students are facing. Allowing students to go further into debt does not remove the burden of repayment from students. This does not address the affordability crisis at all and instead continues to shift the responsibility onto students” says Erin Co, the Vice President External Affairs for the Alma Mater Society (AMS) of UBC. The AMS has – and will continue – to advocate for investments in non-repayable grants including expansions to the BC Access Grant and are deeply disappointed that students once again will have to bear the financial brunt.
Student Housing
The AMS is excited to see the $575 million investment over the next three years to enable post-secondary institutions to be able to build affordable and on-campus student housing.
“With an increasing student housing waitlist in the thousands, the AMS warmly welcomes these new housing investments to help students find livable spaces. We hope that this investment can help reduce the number of students living in sub-optimal spaces such as cars, or closets touted as bedrooms.” says Erin Co, the Vice President External Affairs for the Alma Mater Society (AMS) of UBC. Furthermore, we are hoping to see these investments geared towards urban spaces, alleviating the intense housing market pressures British Columbians face.
Free Prescription Contraception
Starting April 1, 2023, free prescription contraception will be available to all B.C. residents and includes contraception products, copper IUDs, and Plan B®. We celebrate this as this ensures all folks, especially women, trans and non-binary people, are facing one less barrier to their reproductive health. “Students will no longer have to make the difficult decision of choosing between accessing reproductive health resources or paying their vital education-incurred expenses such as tuition or rent.” says Erin Co, the Vice President External Affairs for the Alma Mater Society (AMS) of UBC.
International Students
We are disappointed to see no mention of supporting international students in this year’s budget, despite the recommendations from the government’s own Select Standing Committee of Finance and Government Services. “Every year we see international students, who come to BC for the highest quality of education, be left behind. Instead, institutions rely on these students for their inflated tuition. Despite reasonable calls for equity in policy, we still see no tuition predictability measures, leaving international students vulnerable to tuition spikes that they cannot plan for- making the difference in whether a student knows if they can continue their education or not.” says Erin Co, the Vice President External Affairs for the Alma Mater Society (AMS) of UBC.
Sexualized Violence
The AMS is devastated that no investments for preventing or addressing sexualized violence are in Budget 2023. Survivors, student leaders, advocates, and allies have been calling for action to address the sexualized violence crisis for almost a decade –and despite the fact that for the last two years, the government’s own Select Standing Committee of Finance and Government Services has recommended that funding be committed to address sexualized and gender-based violence in post-secondary education– these calls once again go unheard in this budget.
Contact: Erin Co, AMS Vice President External Affairs
vpexternal@ams.ubc.ca ∙ (604) 822 2050
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