How We Got Here
Recently, the URSU Advocacy department organized two rallies in February 2021 and April 2021, calling on the government to freeze student tuition fees for both domestic and international students. We then researched and wrote a 15 page lobbying document on the needs of students on campus, followed by the first URSU Lobby Week, where we met with MLA’s from across the province to advocate for lower tuition fees, more student grants, increased safety on campus, and many other issues.
The work over the past few years is tied to URSU’s commitment to building student capacity for mobilizing to advocate for a more affordable, accessible and equitable post secondary experience in this province.
Call To Action
And the next step in our mobilization efforts will be join in the cross-Canada student day of action on Wednesday, November 8th, 2023: Fund The Future.
We will be joining the student movement from Newfoundland to British Columbia, and it is our hope that we hold rallies for Fund The Future in not only Regina, but also Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw! We want to work with all the student unions and groups across Saskatchewan to build the biggest student mobilization of our lifetime, and we want YOU to be involved as a volunteer for the Fund The Future movement.
Come to Our Meeting
The Fund The Future campaign is grassroots, student-led movement built by students like yourself. We are only as strong as the participation of our URSU members, and members of other students’ unions across Saskatchewan. Therefore, we want you to get involved. If you can come to one of our bi-weekly meetings, or if you can spread the word to your classmates and friends, or you have a great suggestion on how we can improve our campaign, whatever you can do to help, it will make a real difference and help build our movement.
To get involved, please contact our URSU Vice-President, External, Rukky Erifeta: vpext@ursu.ca or come to our student volunteer meetings, that take place in the URSU board room, located on the second floor on the Riddell Centre. Our student volunteer meetings will be taking place from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, on on the following dates:
- Monday September 11th
- Monday September 25th
- Monday October 23rd
- Monday October 30th
- Monday November 6th
Upcoming Events
“Fund the Future campaign: Cookies and Talk” panel discussion event (URSU Welcome Week event)
URSU Multipurpose Room (in the Riddell Centre)
Thursday, August 31st from 12 pm to 1:30 pm
Event name: “Fund the Future Panel Discussion” (DisOrientation Week event)
URSU Multipurpose Room (in the Riddell Centre)
Thursday, September 14th, from 12 pm to 1:30 pm
“Education and Reconciliation” (URSU Truth and Reconciliation Week event)
URSU Multipurpose Room (in the Riddell Centre)
Thursday, September 28th, from 12 pm to 1:30 pm
Banner Making/Painting party
URSU Multipurpose Room (in the Riddell Centre)
Thursday, October 19th, from 12 pm to 1:30 pm
“Tuition is a Debt Sentence” Halloween event
The Lazy Owl (in the Riddell Centre)
Tuesday, October 31st, from 8 pm to 11 pm (Set up at 7 pm)
Rally Event Details
Fund The Future Student Rally
Wednesday, November 8th, at 11 am – 2 pm
Details: Meet in front of the Riddell Centre at 11 am; travel to the Saskatchewan Legislative Building, where we will hold a rally from 12 pm to 2 pm. This rally will be part of the National Day of Action, led by the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).
Locations: Riddell Centre, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK S4S 0A2; Saskatchewan Legislative Building, 2405 Legislative Dr, Regina, SK S4S 0B3
The Issues
- Increasing tuition fees
- 4% – 4.1% average increase for Undergraduate students and 2.6% average increase for Graduate students at the University of Saskatchewan. 2023
- 4% average increase for all students at the University of Regina
- The proportion of tuition revenue from international students in Saskatchewan has increased from 9% in 2006/07 to 25% in 2019/20.
- Decreasing provincial funding / reduced per-student funding
- In Saskatchewan, the proportion of revenue from tuition fees has increased from 14.2% in 2010/11 to 21.5% in 2019/20, while the proportion of revenue from the province has declined from 53.1% to 49.5%.
- Real per-student government spending has declined by 12% in Saskatchewan over the past two decades due to declining provincial government spending per student.
- High student debt.
- The amount of provincial student aid has increased significantly over the past 5 years, but it has been primarily offered via loans rather than grants, significantly adding to student debt levels.
- In 2021-22, total student grants were lower than they were in 2016/17.
- In 2015, the Average debt owed by students at graduation in Saskatchewan was $33,000.
