Released on May 7, 1999
Premier Roy Romanow and Minister of Post-Secondary Education andSkills Training Maynard Sonntag announced today that $8.9 million will
be reinvested this year by the province for the benefit of students.
The key goal is to keep tuition fees affordable for families and
students.
The result should be a dramatic reduction in proposed tuition
increases, discussed in recent weeks.
"Our government has been listening carefully to parents and students.
They've told us they're concerned about accessibility to universities,
and want us to work with our post-secondary institutions to hold the
line on tuition fees," Premier Romanow said.
"The Government of Saskatchewan is proposing today that the University
of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina hold tuition fee
increases to no more than two per cent this year. In a perfect world,
the Boards of Governors of the two universities will now be able to
approve budgets with no tuition increases at all," Romanow said.
Saskatchewan signed an agreement with the federal government's Canada
Millennium Scholarship Foundation today. This agreement frees $8.9
million in provincial funds. All of these funds will be reinvested in
post-secondary education for the benefit of students.
Minister Sonntag said that funding will also be invested to make
provincial financial assistance available to Saskatchewan
students who attend universities anywhere in Canada.
"Our province agreed to help break down inter-provincial
boundaries through the Social Union agreement signed earlier this
year," Sonntag said. "Saskatchewan students will now have access
to Saskatchewan financial assistance no matter where they attend
university. We've made another step towards strengthening the
bonds that hold our country together."
Today's announcement supplements important investments made for
universities and post-secondary students in and around this
year's provincial budget, including:
A collaboratively-funded $173.5 million commitment to build
a world-class Synchrotron facility at the University of
Saskatchewan.
$2.9 million for the College of Medicine at the University
of Saskatchewan.
$20 million in university capital investment to improve and
renew facilities.
$5 million for operating budgets and special initiatives.
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For more information, contact:
Terry White
Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-1069