An open letter addressed to the Government of Alberta is calling for more funding to post-secondary institutions (PSIs) ahead of Budget 2025.

The letter, which was published on Tuesday morning, calls on the province to reverse budget cuts made under former premier Jason Kenney’s government. The cuts, which were first announced in October 2019, slashed post-secondary funding by 31 per cent between 2019 and 2023.

It resulted in uncertainty among Calgary’s post-secondary institutions, with SAIT cutting 230 positions after Budget 2020 was announced and the University of Calgary cutting 250 positions in November 2019.

Twenty-five student associations across Alberta signed the letter, including the University of Calgary Students’ Union (U of C SU), the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Students’ Association (SAITSA), the University of Calgary Graduate Students’ Association (U of C GSA) and the Students’ Association at Mount Royal University (SAMRU).

“Our PSIs have traditionally laid the groundwork for prosperity and kept our province ahead of the curve. Yet PSIs saw their funding reduced by nearly a third between Budgets 2019 and 2022, with more recent investments adjusted for inflation,” the letter read.

“Now, our PSIs must rely on raising tuition and fees, or pursuing unreliable commercial ventures. Charging a premium to international students offset some of the shortfall, but study permit restrictions may spell an end to that arrangement.”

The letter also raised concerns about the Targeted Enrolment Expansion (TEE) initiative from the Alberta government, which aims to fill gaps in the province’s workforce by funding seats in high-demand fields such as technology, medicine and the trades. However, these funds cannot be used for secondary services like academic advising and wellness programs, services the associations say are crucial for student success.

“The cost of learning feels especially unfair to our students when we consider that higher education will be, for many, a necessity,” the letter said.

Education quality down: SAITSA and U of C SU

Representatives from SAITSA and the U of C SU said the quality of post-secondary education in Alberta has also decreased as a result of these cuts.

According to the letter, tuition costs for diploma programs, certificates and trades programs rose between 20 per cent to 70 per cent since 2019. The cost of undergraduate tuition rose nearly 26 per cent.

Ermia Rezaei-Afsah, president of the U of C SU, said the university is trying its best to mitigate budget cuts by not increasing operational spending.

However, many students choose to leave Alberta after they graduate because they feel the province isn’t investing in them.

“The opportunities just aren’t the same for us, and it’s not just because the economy is bad … The lack of investment into our post-secondary sector just means that opportunities are lacking for students,” Rezaei-Afsah told LWC in an interview on Tuesday.

“Students in other programs are getting work experience integrated in their learning in ways that [the province] doesn’t invest in. Students are graduating in a hostile environment, into a hostile economy. Why should they stay in Alberta?”

Ahmad Baker, president of SAITSA, said more permanent instructors need to be hired at SAIT so students have a consistent education. He added the students’ association is working with SAIT administration to find solutions to funding gaps.

“The youth is what’s going to drive this economy. We need people who are going to put Alberta or Canada first. And those people who come to Canada from different countries, or the Canadians themselves, spend money so they invest into the economy, to get back an investment, to put it back into the economy once again,” Baker told LWC.

“The government should see that when they spend on students, it’s not expenses. It’s an investment, a long-term investment for the economy.”

Student debt, food insecurity rising

The letter also outlined rising student debt and food insecurity fueled by inflation and rising cost of living across Alberta. Around 31 per cent of college students are graduating with an expected debt of at least $25,000 while 60 per cent of bachelor’s students expect the same.

The letter also said 100 per cent more students accessed food insecurity programs or food banks offered by student associations across Alberta in 2024 compared with 2023 numbers.

“It’s honestly unbelievable. Across all institutions, across all of Canada, food insecurity has increased,” Baker said.

“We run free breakfast for students every Wednesday and we’ve seen a huge increase in the numbers of students accessing those programs. So it is really sad. It is really sad to see students trying to choose between paying their tuition or having their breakfast on the table.”

More funding needed amidst federal student visa cap

Baker and Rezaei-Afsah also raised concerns about the federal government’s plan to slash the number of international student visas it issues each year. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the changes late last year, saying the government plans to reduce the number of international students coming into Canada by 40 per cent.

This year, the government will issue 437,000 study permits, a 10 per cent decrease from the 2024 cap.

Post-secondary institutions have long treated international students as “piggy banks,” Baker and Rezaei-Afsah said, because the higher tuition costs are being used to pad budget gaps.

Rezaei-Afsah told LWC that the provincial government is not interested in topping up funding for PSIs, however.

“Alberta is in a position where it won’t be affected as badly as some schools in Ontario are. But the problem is that international students previously were used as almost piggy banks for universities, as a lever of control against budget cuts,” he said.

“The international students helped fill some of that gap. Since the IRCC caps came in, that is no longer a solution the way it was. Not only are the caps limiting the amount of international students, they also are discouraging people from coming to Canada.”

Rezaei-Afsah added the only solution is to increase funding to PSIs so schools will be able to maintain high-quality education and operations.

“We can’t get international students like we used to. What are we going to do?” he said.

“We’re going to have to cut, unfortunately, and if not cut, maximize efficiency as much as possible. That usually leads to cutting somewhere. And so the direct impact of that is that Albertan schools that have been on the map that attract people here, that you know contribute to Alberta’s economy and Alberta’s advantage and help build Alberta’s future, just won’t be able to do that the same way anymore.”