FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2011
Edmonton, AB – Students at Alberta’s universities, technical institutes and colleges commend Budget 2011 for protecting grants and scholarships for students and stabilizing funding to post-secondary institutions.
“On the whole, it’s a balanced approach which takes into consideration the primary needs of students and institutions, which isn’t easy to achieve in times of fiscal constraint,” says Steven Kwasny, Chair of the Alberta Students’ Executive Council (ASEC).
But students caution that the two-year suspension to the Access to the Future fund, which matched community contributions for student awards, capital projects and other initiatives, will have a negative impact on scholarships funded by the community. “From 2006 to 2009, the Fund boosted community-driven scholarships to nearly $30M” said Kwasny. “Without Access to the Future, an important on-ramp for students in need is now closed for maintenance.”
The Alberta Students’ Executive Council represents over 120,000 students from 12 colleges, technical institutes and universities across the province.
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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Steve Kwasny, Chair Carol Neuman, Executive Director
403-896-1560 780-437-4531
