The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) and the Quebec Student Union (QSU) are pleased to see Budget 2018 commit the government to significant long-term funding for early career researchers, student work opportunities and the development of a national approach to addressing sexual violence on campus. These investments, coupled with strong support for student access in previous budgets, demonstrate a clear and active commitment to improving the quality of, and access to, post-secondary education in Canada.
“Budget 2018 makes a strong commitment to student researchers with significant new funding allocated for the research granting councils,” says Michael McDonald, Executive Director of CASA. “Students have long called for substantial investments in student-led research, and this budget delivers,” echoes Guillaume Lecorps, Vice President of QSU.
Over the next five years, the federal government will invest $925 million dollars in the research granting councils. This additional funding will increase the base funding of the agencies by 25% by 2020-2021. Beyond providing additional funding for investigator-led research, the budget commits substantial funding for the entire post-secondary education research ecosystem, including support for the indirect costs of research and research infrastructure. These are significant steps in meeting the recommendations of the Fundamental Science Review laid out last spring.
CASA is also pleased to see renewed support for the College and Community Innovation Program, which helps students and local community businesses create innovative projects at Canadian colleges and polytechnics.
Beyond the budget’s focus on research, there was a renewed commitment to the Youth Employment Strategy (YES), to the tune of $448.5 million over five years, and to the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program. The CSJ provides students valuable work experience during their summer breaks. Budget 2017 provided substantial investments into the program, and Budget 2018 extends those for five years. CASA is excited to see the government commit to modernizing YES using the Expert Panel on Youth Employment’s report as a blueprint.
“CASA believes the Expert Panel on Youth Employment provides an excellent roadmap for improving student transitions to the workforce, and we are looking forward to working with the government to implement its recommendations,” says Mr. McDonald.
The budget also provides funding to address sexual violence on post-secondary campuses. The budget commits $5.5 million over five years to develop national best practices to address sexual violence and create safe campuses across the country. It also emphasises that post-secondary institutions across Canada must do their part by implementing effective strategies for preventing sexual violence on their campus.
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About CASA:
Established in 1995, the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit, national student organization composed of 22 student associations representing 255,000 post-secondary students from coast to coast. Through its partnership with the Quebec Student Union (QSU) and its 8 members representing 79,000 students, CASA presents a national student voice to the federal government. CASA advocates for a Canadian post-secondary education system that is accessible, affordable, innovative, and of the highest quality.
CASA Contact:
Lindsay Boyd, Communications and Public Relations Officer
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 613-236-3457 ext. 224
About QSU:
The Quebec Student Union’s mission is to defend the rights and interests of the student community, of its member associations, and of their members, by promoting, protecting, and ameliorating the conditions of students and those of local and international communities.
QSU Contact:
Alexandre Ducharme, Political Advisor
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 514-497-2602
