Debates of June 6, 2006 (day 6)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my questions today are for the Honourable Charles Dent, Minister of Education, and it’s to do with the student financial assistance. I’d like to ask the Minister how the department comes up with the figures for student financial assistance, because a student that’s going to school in Montreal or Toronto, Edmonton, would get the same amount as a student going to school in Yellowknife or Inuvik. So I’d like to ask him how they come up with the figures and are these reviewed every year? Thank you.

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

Return To Question 69-15(5): Student Financial Assistance Amounts

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The amounts are looked at on a regular basis. It’s not a formal review every year. There hasn’t been a formal review of the amounts since I think the year 2000 when we had a commission that did a study and made some recommendations that the government-of-the-day acted on. This year, for instance, we will be increasing the amount of support for tuition; we’ll be increasing the amount of support for books. So it is an area of support that the department looks to whenever we can make the argument successfully for new funds that we add to the program. The cost of going to school in a high cost centre like Toronto is probably even higher than it is in Inuvik, believe it or not, and the Member is right, though, that we have not reflected the cost of living throughout the various areas that a student might be attending school. It is the same amount all across Canada. Thank you.

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

Supplementary To Question 69-15(5): Student Financial Assistance Amounts

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I’ll thank the Minister for that response. He mentioned a full-blown review hadn’t been done since 2000. Would the Minister commit to doing a review and finding out how much it’s costing nowadays? Like, the tuition and that, the government does a good job, as far as I’m concerned, in helping with the tuition and the books and everything. My question is regarding the allowance that these students get. So would the Minister commit to doing another review of the assistance plan? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 69-15(5): Student Financial Assistance Amounts

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not prepared to commit to a full-blown committee to go out and conduct hearings to hear what people think we should be doing with student financial assistance. I’d rather put the money into the program if we could afford that kind of thing. What I will commit to is the Member has raised a good point and that is that we should make sure we are encouraging people to attend our northern college. We have a real investment in the northern campuses and we need to make sure that we are supporting people to go there. I have already directed the department that over the course of the next year, that we take a look at whether or not it wouldn’t make sense to ensure that the levels of support do, in fact, encourage northerners to attend the northern college where we offer the programs. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 69-15(5): Student Financial Assistance Amounts

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the intent of the program, from my understanding, was to help with a lot of single students going to school. The Minister was up in Inuvik with us attending the convocation of Aurora College. I think he noticed that there was a lot of graduates there who were raising families. Is the size of families and the extra support they have to pay factored into the figures the department comes up with? That’s why I say we need to have another review. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Dent.

Further Return To Question 69-15(5): Student Financial Assistance Amounts

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, on the needs assessed loans, the answer is yes. On the regular grants, no, the size of the family isn’t always factored in. Again, the Member has raised a good point and it is an area that I have also suggested that we need to take a look at ensuring, particularly for northern students, that we are encouraging those students to attend the college. I think we do need to recognize the higher cost for single parents. I have already asked that we take a look at doing that. I don’t think we need a full-blown commission to do it. I think we have enough expertise within the department and within our colleagues at the college to help us understand that needs to happen, and that’s the direction that I have provided. Thank you.