March 8, 2019

Winnipeg, MB – The University of Manitoba Students’ Union (UMSU) is extremely disappointed in the Province of Manitoba’s 2019-20 budget. The budget, announced today by Finance Minister Scott Fielding, seeks to balance its books on the backs of students by implementing further decreases in the operating grants of post-secondary institutions, including the University of Manitoba.

This budget marks the third year of cuts and stagnation inflicted on post-secondary institutions across the province, and will incentivize the University of Manitoba to raise tuition by the maximum amounts: 5% plus C.P.I. This will continue to harm students as tuition costs grow while education quality decreases due to cut programs, exponentially larger class sizes, and reduced ability to retain talented world class professors and staff.

In the past three provincial budgets post-secondary education has become an afterthought by the Province, leaving its quality at risk. With tuition having risen last year by 6.6% in addition to the removal of international healthcare, it is becoming increasingly difficult to be a student at the University of Manitoba. To invest in the future of Manitobans, the Province will need to fill roughly 23,600 jobs in education, law and social, community and government services by 2024 — all of which will require affordable, quality post-secondary education.

“Budget 2019-20 ensures that the Province of Manitoba will continue another year of attacks on post-secondary education,” says Owen Black, Vice-President External for UMSU.

“With cuts to the operating grant, the Province of Manitoba is all but guaranteeing tuition will increase by the maximum amount possible at the University of Manitoba. The Province of Manitoba needs to stop balancing the budget at the cost of Manitoba’s post-secondary education and start investing in the future of Manitobans. I want to personally assure all University of Manitoba students that our UMSU Executive will be working hard to stand against future tuition increases for both Domestic and International Students.”

UMSU is calling on the University Administration and the University of Manitoba’s Faculty Association (UMFA) to develop innovative and creative solutions to keep the cost of education accessible to all students. UMSU will continue efforts to expand Open Educational Resources to keep our students’ education affordable, and push for a more accessible, high quality post-secondary education at the University of Manitoba.

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The University of Manitoba Students’ Union is the official representative of the over 25,000 undergraduate students at the University of Manitoba.

For media information, please contact:

Jakob Sanderson
President
University of Manitoba Students’ Union
Phone: 204-474-6519
Email: pres@umsu.ca