For immediate release:
July 19, 2023
Students Pleased with Increased Funding to Memorial University, Calling for Long-Term Commitments to Post-Secondary Education
St. John’s - The Canadian Federation of Students - Newfoundland & Labrador (CFS-NL) is pleased to hear of the pause in the Campus Renewal Fee at Memorial University as a result of $10 million in funding from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
“This Campus Renewal Fee was first implemented in Fall 2017, along with the Student Services Fee, likely as a way for the University to find ways to get more money from students without increasing tuition. I was told by the Vice-President pro-tempore of Grenfell at the time, that they were unaware of any plans for how these fees would be used when initially approved.” states Mary Feltham, Chairperson of CFS-NL.
Students have been actively speaking out against these fees since its implementation, and we are pleased that our voices are being heard. However, we urge for continued action for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to prioritize the rights of students through making education accessible to all.
While this temporary measure will help students save money this year, it provides little reassurance that post-secondary education will be made affordable in the long-term given ongoing cuts to Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic in recent years.
We hope this pause becomes a permanent termination of the Campus Renewal Fee, and further hope that this the start of reinstating funding to the University to allow for free education for all. Feltham adds that “This $10 million is a small win as we recognize that the University is still underfunded due to the $68.4 million in cuts. We know that we need to continue to invest in our future through education so students are not faced with a debt sentence for exercising their right to an education.”
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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.
For further information, please contact:
Robert Leamon, CFS-NL Organizer
709.737.3204 (O), 709.771.0222 (M)
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