The items on the agenda that we covered were the role that post secondary education can play in our current economic climate, the federal funding distribution, the integration of provincial and federal student loans, enhanced repayment assistance program (ERAP), Canada education transfer and a pan Canadian accord, and the Canada Student Grant Program.
ANSSA believes that education is the "silver bullet" through fostering the knowledge economy, social capital, and provincial prosperity. We hope that that despite the current economic challenges that the government will not cut funding to education, because we believe that education is an opportunity and investment and should not be looked upon as a burden by our governments.
ANSSA is advocating to the provincial government to advocate to the federal government to change the federal funding formula from per capita to per student. Nova Scotia traditional has a relatively high participation rate in post secondary education and is also the second highest net importer of students amongst the provinces. The current set up leaves Nova Scotia with a structural deficit for its post secondary institutions.
ANSSA has been pleased with the Nova Scotia government's Enhanced Repayment Assistance Program pilot. ERAP in Nova Scotia focuses on the borrower's ability to repay, rather than the borrower's willingness to repay. The three ERAP principles are: (1) that no borrower will ever be required to make a student loan payment above an affordable level (no payment higher than 20% gross income), (2) no payment will be required from those with very low incomes, (3) amortization periods will not be unduly lengthened in order to achieve an affordable payment. The federal government plans to implement the ERAP in the 2009-2010 academic years. As we move to a more integrated system ANSSA will watch to ensure that the progressive policies of NS ERAP are not compromised through the streamlining process.
ANSSA would like to see a Canada Education Transfer to be carved from the current Canada Social Transfer in an effort to promote needed transparency to the federal government around how federal transfers are spent, as well as predictability for universities to allow for long-term budgeting. Also through a Pan Canadian Accord we would establish a federal-provincial vision for post secondary education and principles to govern the post secondary education system in Canada.
The Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation (CMSF) is nearing the end of its life cycle and will soon be replaced by the Canada Student Grant Program. The new program does have benefits to students; however, there are some concerns that ANSSA has as well. The new program will no longer be on a financial need basis but on an income basis. This can be problematic when students have high financial need while not falling into the lowest income bracket. We hope that this will not result in affecting people who have the greatest difficulties accessing post secondary education, and that we will not be assisting under represented groups. Another concern with the new program is the definition of 'dependent' and ANSSA believes that the change will have severe negative impacts on single parents who hope to attend post secondary education while raising teenage children. The final concern we have for the new program is the research component that was part of the CMSF which has developed cutting edge research that works at arms length from government. It is ANSSA's hope that this will continue with the new program.
The meeting with Megan was very positive and she seems very eager to help us with our goals and priorities. I look forward to continue working with her through ANSSA and CASA to make post secondary education more accessible and affordable for Nova Scotia students, and Canadian students.
