Debates of May 14, 2007 (day 6)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a single student going to school gets $700. If you go to school in Lethbridge, you get $700. If you go to school in Inuvik, you get $700. The cost of living, Mr. Speaker, between Lethbridge and Inuvik, I am sure is just a little bit different, slightly different. You would need at least $1,260 to offset the difference in the cost. And heaven forbid if you are a young mother from one of the communities with two kids, goes into Inuvik, wants to take nursing access so you can make a better life. Heaven forbid. It is difficult on these people that try to attend school. I would like to ask the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment if the department has any plans to review and adjust the SFA to reflect the high cost of living? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Education, Culture and Employment, Mr. Dent.

Return To Question 76-15(6): Adjustments To Student Financial Assistance Rates

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Student Financial Assistance Program is constantly under review. We have made revisions to the program in the past few years. We are planning further revisions to the program in time for this fall’s semester. What the Member is talking about in terms of a difference in the cost of living based on the different costs in the Northwest Territories is another area that we are looking at. We probably are not going to get that one done this year, but we are taking a look at it because we have, Mr. Speaker, a significant investment in our Aurora College campuses. We want to make sure that we are encouraging northern students to attend college in the North. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 76-15(6): Adjustments To Student Financial Assistance Rates

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister makes a good point as we want to keep our students going to school in the North, but the high cost of living…It only makes sense that you may want to go to school south. Mr. Speaker, they are doing an income support redesign to reflect the high cost of living in some of the communities. Will they do the same thing with the Student Financial Assistance Program and have it implemented this fall? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 76-15(6): Adjustments To Student Financial Assistance Rates

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Right now, the repayable loan limit for student financial assistance is $1,100 a month. By this fall, that will be increased to $1,400 a month. So there will be a change. There will be needs assessed. So depending on the need, if students need it, that money will be available. We are also going to be increasing the lifetime limit for loans to ensure that northern students don’t run up against that limit. Mr. Speaker, the kind of change, that is the indexing, that the Member is asking about, we have just started the research on that right now. We know that, for instance, British Columbia does do some limited indexing. We are taking a look at how they do their program to try and see if we can find a way to make it work here in the North.

Thank you, Mr. Dent. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 76-15(6): Adjustments To Student Financial Assistance Rates

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have done some researching, too. Students say it does cost less to go to school south than it does in Inuvik. That is all the research you need, is what they tell us and that is what we should be listening to. The $1,925 per semester, is that figure also going to be adjusted when they redo their rates? The cost of tuition in some of the institutions is going up but I don’t know if our rates have increased at all, so I would like to ask the Minister if that cost will be increasing also. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 76-15(6): Adjustments To Student Financial Assistance Rates

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The tuition and the book allowance were both increased within the last two years. Right now, the tuition costs easily cover the amount of tuition that is charged by the college at all the campuses here in the Northwest Territories based on the programs. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.