POST-SECONDARY STUDENTS TAKE ACTION TO FIGHT THE FEES!

ST. JOHN’S & CORNER BROOK – On November 8, 2023, college and university students all over Newfoundland and Labrador are taking part in rallies and actions as part of the Canadian Federation of Students’ campaign for free education.

“Today students are taking action because they know that education is a right,” said Mary Feltham, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students Newfoundland and Labrador, “We have a vision of post-secondary education where colleges and universities are fully funded so that students can focus on learning without the burden of student debt from rising tuition fees.”

Today’s actions are part of a broader campaign for free post-secondary education for all students, including graduate students and international students, and marks the first time since 2016 that students have organized a national day of action. Students are calling on both federal and provincial governments to immediately take steps to eliminate tuition fees, address skyrocketing student debt, and increase public funding for all public institutions.  

Decades of underfunding have resulted in significant tuition fee increases across the country. Public institutions have become dependent on exorbitant increases to international student tuition fees. Today, domestic undergraduate students pay an average of $3,481 while domestic graduate students pay an average of $3,228. International students pay much higher fees, often up to 6 times than that of domestic students. International undergraduate students pay an average of $17,477 while international graduate students pay an average of $4,806. Underfunding has also led to diminished campus services, inaccessible education for working-class students, and a shift to heavier reliance on corporate and private funding.   

“In the middle of an affordability crisis, we can no longer ignore the crisis in education – we simply won’t let them,” said Feltham. “This is a movement built on the idea that education is a right, and increasingly seen as a requirement to enter the workforce and strengthen communities. We will continue to fight until education is free because students of today and tomorrow are depending on it.”

CFS-NL continues to echo the need for allocated funding at all public post-secondary educational institutes, and to increase transparency in administrative hiring and spending practices. Students are energized to take to the streets on November 8th during the National Day of Action to make it clear that Education is a Right.

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WHAT: National Student Day of Action

WHEN: November 8th, 2023, 11 a.m. NST in Corner Brook and St. Johns. 

WHERE: Grenfell Campus Atrium in Corner Brook and Memorial University Clock Tower in St. John’s. 

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National Student Day of Action Demands:

1. Free and accessible post-secondary education

2. Grants, not loans

3. Education justice, including

            Honoring Indigenous learners' right to education

            Supporting students with disabilities

            Fairness for international students

            Increased funding for graduate students

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For more information in St. John’s:

Mary Feltham
Chairperson, CFS-NL
(709) 424-9153
m.feltham@cfs-nl.ca

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For more information in Corner Brook:

Vicky Quao
VP External, GCSU
(Grenfell Campus Students’ Union)
(709) 216-5773
gcsuVPexternal@grenfell.mun.ca‍

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For all other information, please contact:

Robert Leamon
Organizer, CFS-NL
(709) 771-0222
r.leamon@cfs-nl.ca

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The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada’s oldest and largest students’ union, uniting more than 530,000 college and university students in the demand for high-quality, public, post-secondary education. ‍

‍The Canadian Federation of Students - Newfoundland and Labrador proudly unites 25,000 public post-secondary students in NL in the fight for high-quality, affordable, post-secondary education.