Nova Scotia Students Cope with Funding Cuts and Rising Tuition

Students looking to attend university in Nova Scotia have to reach deeper into their pockets than ever.

Universities in the province are now facing a new three-year funding agreement that includes a three per cent funding cut and a three per cent tuition hike.

“Tuition fee increases coupled with reductions in government funding means students in Nova Scotia will be paying more and getting less,” said Maxime Audet, Chairperson for the Canadian Federation of Students-Nova Scotia.

“While the vast majority of provincial governments are increasing funding to universities, the Dexter government continues to cut core funding to these institutions that contribute so much to our communities and our economy.”

The three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) also contains provisions that are already unpopular. For example, students studying medicine, dentistry, and law are vulnerable to tuition hikes, whenever the given school deems it necessary. It also removes the cap on tuition fee increases for international students.

“Students from other provinces currently pay $1,000 more than students from Nova Scotia to attend university in the province,” said Audet.

“We are already bleeding Nova Scotia students to Newfoundland and Labrador due to their low tuition fees. By further increasing tuition fees we risk losing the out-of-province students that our system and province depend on.”