All qualified Albertans should have access to the educational opportunity of their choice. In 2005, the provincial government admitted that barriers to access exist, acknowledging the fact that the post-secondary participation rate of Albertans aged 18-24 is the second lowest in the country. The government planned to create 15,000 new spaces by 2008, an increase that would only have kept pace with the growth of Alberta’s population.
However, even that commitment is currently being reviewed, and qualified Albertan students are still facing crowded classrooms and being turned away from their institutions of choice due to lack of space.
- Only 31% of Albertans aged 18-24 participate in post-secondary education, the second-lowest rate in Canada.
- Statistics about per-student funding over-estimate Alberta’s investment in post-secondary education, because Alberta has not made a sustained investment in increasing student spaces and affordability, and student numbers are therefore depressed. Using per-student statistics, the government’s under-investment in improving access actually the funding situation look more, not less adequate.
- The province is considering implementing a single province-wide post-secondary application system, at an estimated annual cost of between $6 million and $9 million, but this will do nothing to create new student spaces.
- Alberta has failed to match investments by Ontario and BC to increase graduate student spaces by 14,000 and 2,500, respectively. To address the increasing need for qualified faculty and quality research, Ontario has invested in a plan to add capacity for 14,000 additional graduate students by 2010, with 12,000 of these to come in 2007/2008. The 2007 B.C Provincial Budget commits funding for 2,500 additional graduate student spaces this year. Alberta has no comparable plan to improve access to graduate education.
- In 2005, the provincial government admitted that barriers to access existed, and planned to create 15,000 new spaces by 2008, a rate that would only keep pace with the population increase. That commitment has not been met, and is now being reviewed.
Solutions to improve access to education in Alberta:
Fully fund new spaces to ensure proper resources for faculty and students
Invest in new student housing and childcare infrastructure to assist diverse learners
Create new bursaries and expand assistance to attract under-represented communities
