New tuition bursary program will keep province competitive, says minister

A new bursary program will help more New Brunswickers geta post-secondary education and keep the province's universities and colleges competitive, said Don Arseneault.

But it's also an important step in keeping people in the province, the minister of post-secondary education, training and labour told Information Morning Fredericton on Friday. The new bursary program mirrors what some other jurisdictions offer.

• Province ties new tuition bursaries to family size and income
• New Brunswick is Canada's only province with a shrinking population

The government wantsto "try and make sure that New Brunswickers are choosing New Brunswick to come and study instead of maybe going elsewhere," he said.

New Brunswick is the only province in Canada with a shrinking population, according tothemost recentcensus figures.

Other program more stringent

The new program announced Thursday is an addition to other financial assistance programs already offered to New Brunswick students, including the tuition access bursary, which was announced in 2016 to helpstudents from families earning less than $60,000 attend a publicly funded college or university.UNB

• Free tuition for low-income students squeezes middle class, critics say
• Students launch complaint against province over bursary program

About 9,000 students may be eligible for aid under the new program, which starts Aug. 1. A bursary would be based on the size and income of a student's family.

Under examples provided by the government, a student from a family of three with an income of $61,000 would be eligible for a bursary of $3,614. The bursary and a Canada student grant of $2,461 would cover98 per cent of tuition, the province said.

"We want to focus on accessibility," Arseneaultsaid.

He added that making tuition entirely free is not an option right now but the province will continue to work towardinvesting in education.

"There is no doubt there are many, many needs across various departments," he said. "The free tuition program is a base. Let's go from there."

Tax rebate not working

Arseneault defended his government's decision to cut a popular tuition tax rebate program two years ago, which could reach a maximum of $20,000 for graduates who stayed in the province and worked after graduation.

• Roger Melanson's tuition rebate cut unleashes Twitter backlash

He said the retention program was not working because it did not keep students students in the province or help them attend universities or colleges in New Brunswick.

"We need to train people, we need to give more accessibility to people to pursue post-secondary education, we have to make it more accessible and we have to make it more affordable," he said.

He added that the province has created other programs, such as the youth employment fund for co-op placements, that focus on giving students more job opportunities after university.

"What will keep New Brunswickers here is a job," he said.

Health-care forinternational students

The government also announced this week that it will pick up the tab for health care for international students.

Again, Arseneault said the province wants to mirror what some neighbouring provinces, such as Nova Scotia, now offer.

This will help universities and colleges attract these students, he said.

"We are not competing with the guy across the street anymore or the province next door, it's all around the world," he said.