B.C. Budget: Cuts to Education; Sweetheart deals for Big Oil

“The B.C. government is taking money out of students’ pockets by cutting their aid and funding but at the same time they’re sending money into the coffers of these big oil and gas companies,” said Timothy Chu, VP external of the Alma Mater Society at UBC-Vancouver. “These tax breaks to corporations come with a high cost: cuts to student programs. Essentially, students are paying for these big oil tax breaks,” Chu said.

“The priorities of this government are absolutely skewed,” said Blake Frederick, president of the Alma Mater Society at UBC-Vancouver. “The government claims not to have any money and so they cut social programs, like education. But they turn around and hand out huge tax breaks for the big oil and gas companies. We more from this government, and this budget.”

Ben Cappellacci, a third-year commerce student at UBC, is frustrated with these cuts. “I was forced into debt because of the high tuition fees. I have a debt load of around $21,000 and by graduation I expect to have $30,000 of debt. These student aid cuts will affect me because I worry about how I am going to repay my student loans after I graduate,” he said. “Uncertain economic times call for a reinvestment in training and education. Deep cuts aren’t a sound financial solution”.

The Alma Mater Society wants the B.C. government to restore adequate funding to post-secondary education.