At a time when the rising cost of living weighs heavily on students, two associations will tour Quebec campuses to request an adjustment to financial aid for studies.
“It is necessary to review the calculation of financial aid for studies so that it is better adapted to the needs of students,” argued Étienne Paré, president of the Union étudiante du Québec (UEQ), a group of 12 university student associations, during a joint press conference with the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec (FECQ) on Saturday morning at Collège Ahuntsic.
According to the two organisations, which represent some 100,000 and 80,000 members respectively, the benefits offered by the government are insufficient, at a time when the housing crisis and food inflation are putting students in a position of significant precariousness. Result: “Students are turning their backs on government financial aid […] and instead borrow from private banking institutions,” lamented Étienne Paré.
In 2022, only 27% of Quebec students eligible for student financial aid used it, according to a survey conducted by the Applied Public Economics Research Group. “This data is alarming,” commented Étienne Paré.
The UEQ and the FECQ will go on tour this fall to meet with student associations in the province. “To find solutions to present to the Ministry of Higher Education, we will tour our campuses and understand the facts,” said Antoine Dervieux, president of the FECQ.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Pascale Déry, Minister of Higher Education
In solution mode
The Quebec government has already noted the decline in interest in its student financial assistance benefits. According to data collected by the Ministry of Higher Education, the number of people who used student financial assistance fell between 2017 and 2022, from approximately 202,000 to 148,000.
No fewer than 22,054 people completed an application without following up in 2022. “Although we do not know the reasons for these decisions, it is very likely that these people felt that financial aid for studies was not sufficient to meet their needs,” stressed Étienne Paré.
Paid internships are another way to ease the financial burden on Quebec students, according to student organizations. “Deficit or not, it’s an investment in our youth, and that’s never a bad idea,” said Antoine Dervieux.
Last Tuesday, FECQ representatives pleaded their case to Minister of Higher Education Pascale Déry, who expressed openness to improving the student financial aid program. “We are happy to see that she wants to study this, but we are waiting for concrete action,” added Antoine Dervieux.