The State of Post-Secondary Education in Alberta

The University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association (UCGSA) has signed onto an open letter, with our counterparts and allies throughout the province, outlining our deep concerns about the state of post-secondary education in Alberta.

Click here to read the full open letter

The open letter highlights a number of stark facts. For instance, Alberta was the third most educated province in Canada in 2019; now, after six years and billions of dollars in cuts, it is sixth. Around 77% of students struggle to meet their basic needs, even with financial support from their families. Alberta also has the second-highest level of food insecurity in the country, meaning the Alberta Advantage is passing our students by. All the while, tuition and fees have skyrocketed for students: we now bear more of the cost of supporting the post-secondary system than ever before.

Higher education generates significant public benefits: the letter shows how productivity, economic growth, and employer satisfaction all increase with well-funded and well-run post-secondary systems. But Alberta’s system is neither well-funded nor well-run: in addition to budget cuts, the Government of Alberta has attempted to predict future labor market needs by focusing on expanding enrollment in only a select few fields—something that no government has ever been successful in doing. It is little wonder, then, that, as the letter shows, Alberta receives a “D” grade in innovation from the Conference Board of Canada.

Student associations from across Alberta hope this letter spurs a change in post-secondary policy so post-secondaries can better serve Alberta. That will require funding, freedom, and fearlessness: the funding to grow our universities so our universities can grow our economy; the freedom for students to study without hunger or poverty; and fearlessness—from the government and university administrators—in trusting that what students do today will benefit the future in ways we cannot even begin to imagine.

With an economy that fails to innovate, is suffering from declining productivity, and is increasingly vulnerable to trade disruptions from the United States, we need a post-secondary system that is resilient, dynamic, and rewarding. We need a post-secondary system that is ready for the challenges of tomorrow and able to support Albertans with the challenges of today. Most importantly, we need a post-secondary system that grows our future so that, with every successful graduate, Alberta gets stronger.

Students desperately want that kind of post-secondary system. Will public policy answer the call?