CALGARY – Premier Jim Prentice says all Albertans will feel the squeeze from low energy prices and that includes students.
Prentice was asked Thursday if the government intended to lift a cap on college and university tuitions.
He says the government is meeting with post-secondary institutions to discuss ways of increasing revenues.
Prentice says Alberta is looking at a $7 billion revenue shortfall and he says the goal is to maintain the quality of college and university education with a sustainable revenue model.
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The premier was scheduled to meet with the board of the University of Calgary on Friday.
According to the U of C Student’s Union, all Alberta post secondary student tuition fees raise about $1.1 billion a year for the Alberta government, which is as much revenue as the government would get from a provincial sales tax.
NDP Leader Brian Mason says lifting the cap will open the door to tuition hikes in a province that already has the lowest post-secondary participation rate in Canada.
Meanwhile, a group of post-secondary students and faculty have launched the campaign Post-Secondary Education is the Answer in an effort to increase funding for post-secondary education.
The group argues investing in PSE helps resolve man challenges facing Alberta.
With files from Global News
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