StudentsNS Fall Newsletter
The “New Normal” - and How It's Impacting Students
After a busy summer, we are excited to see students across the province head back to class, whether returning for another year, or setting foot on campus for the first time! As Nova Scotians continue to adapt to “living with COVID-19”, we recognize students have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and that these impacts may be long-lasting ones.
Combined with the ongoing housing crisis and record high levels of inflation, the affordability pressures facing students continue to rise. Even prior to the pandemic, nearly 1 in 5 borrowers faced financial need beyond program maximums; this ratio has only grown over the last 3 years. In 2021, 2⁄3 of students said that the COVID-19 pandemic had made education less affordable and one Maritime survey reported that 30% of recent graduates used too much - or all - their savings as a result, with 12% more taking on additional debt.
Driven by historically low vacancy rates in both urban and rural regions of the province, the lack of affordable, high quality housing options for students has also become a significant barrier to educational access. As housing costs both on- and off-campus continue to climb, many are forced to choose between units outside of their price range, at a substandard quality or at a great distance from campus.
Affordability challenges also had a dire and continued impact on student wellbeing. CASA’s recent “The New Abnormal” report on student mental health found that ¾ of student respondents saw continued negative impacts on their mental health - on par with 2021 levels. Financial stress is a significant driver of poor mental health, with a 2022 Canadian Student Wellbeing Survey finding "greater access to financial services/aid" as the biggest student priority in combating stress. These challenges make it difficult for graduates to remain in the province post-graduation at a time when population growth and retention is a key priority.
These - and many other - student priorities informed our board’s planning processes this summer, culminating in the creation of a 2022-25 Strategic Plan and 2022-23 Annual Plan. Among other long-term priority areas, both plans emphasized themes such as affordability (of education, of housing, of educational materials), access to employment, and student wellbeing. As we enter the second year of the Houston government’s mandate, we look forward to advancing these priority areas and continuing to advocate for students before, during and after their time in study.
Introducing our Board of Directors!
We are excited to introduce our Board of Directors for 2022-23! This team of new and returning student advocates includes representatives from a range of academic backgrounds and experiences, with a diversity of policy and advocacy priorities. This year, our Board is looking forward to strengthening student consultation and engagement, further amplifying the student voice and continuing to advocate for a postsecondary education system that centers accessibility, affordability and quality as its key pillars.
To learn more about our Board of Directors and Home Office team, visit our website!
Policy Spotlight: International Student Healthcare
In September, we were pleased to see the government announce new changes to Medical Services Insurance (MSI) for international students studying in the province. Previously, international students in Nova Scotia could only opt into MSI after 12 months only if they had not left Nova Scotia for 31 consecutive days during that period. Under the new guidelines, international students are eligible for coverage after spending 12 months in the province, even if they have left for more than 30 consecutive days during that time.
Over the past near-decade, Students Nova Scotia has consistently highlighted the impacts of the 31-day barrier upon international students studying in the province, leaving many students unable to return home over the summer months to visit family, work to finance their education, or to travel. We were pleased to see this reduction in barriers to international healthcare access, especially given that international students face many additional challenges studying in the province when compared to their domestic counterparts. We spoke with News 95.7 and Global News on how students would be impacted by these changes, highlighting the vital contributions of international students to the province in terms of culture, economy and population. Indeed, international students contribute over $432 million to GDP in the Maritimes and over 63% of international graduates remain in the Maritimes two years after graduation.
Although students must still wait 12 months for coverage under current guidelines, the elimination of this restriction is a critical first step towards a healthcare model that is affordable and accessible for all students studying here. To learn more about how changes to MSI might impact you, check out the Q&A !
Students Nova Scotia walked with SMUSA in Halifax’s Pride Parade this July.
Students Nova Scotia in the News
Throughout the summer and early fall, StudentsNS continued to engage with media and stakeholders in bringing forth student perspectives and concerns. We kicked off the year with the release of our report Sustainable Student Housing: Recommendations for a Provincial Student Housing Strategy which we discussed with Global News and News 95.7. It was also featured in Academica Top Ten, as was the Shared Perspectives report on Student Financial Assistance in collaboration with other provincial and federal student advocacy groups.
In August, our Chair Kyle spoke with Global News about students' struggles to find housing across the province as they prepared to return to campus. In September, our Executive Director Lydia, spoke with News 95.7 and CTV News on the students still looking for housing as classes resumed, and how the lack of affordable housing options would impact students this year. We also recently spoke with Global News on how some components of tenancy legislation in the province may particularly disadvantage students.
Our Board Members at Saint Mary’s were featured on Academica Top Ten discussing the affordability crisis for students, as inflation in the Maritimes exceeded the national average in June. They cited the need for increased needs-based financial assistance from the province and institutions as students reported working 2-3 jobs or postponing their education entirely, even as food bank usage has soared, In May, we spoke with Global News on RBC Futures Report citing Halifax as the least affordable city for youth in Canada; we also spoke with CBC regarding the need to modernize Repayment Assistance Program thresholds to reflect the costs of living and working in Nova Scotia.
Maritime student leaders came together in June for the fifth annual Maritime Student Congress, held at Acadia University in Wolfville.
Get Engaged: Campaigns, Reports, Surveys and Supports
As we head into the fall term, we want to highlight some of the ways for students to get engaged, provide feedback, or access support.
Hidden Costs of Education Campaign
This year, we know that affordability and the costs of being a student are top of mind for Nova Scotians. We’re excited to announce a planned “More than Tuition” campaign in collaboration with other Maritime schools, which will allow students to highlight how they are impacted by the costs of a postsecondary degree, including housing, textbooks, transit and groceries. Following the campaign in November, we will be releasing a paper highlighting the accessibility and affordability barriers to postsecondary education for Nova Scotians, as well as recommendations for how government and institutions can better support and incentivize postsecondary participation, especially for those typically underrepresented on campuses.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks to learn more!
Housing Needs Assessment Survey
We know that the housing crisis impacts all Nova Scotians, but that particular groups - including students are particularly vulnerable. Students face additional challenges in accessing safe, affordable housing, including knowledge of tenancy rights, avenues to find housing, and substandard housing conditions once options are found. Students are also particularly vulnerable to abuses of their tenancy rights. As identified in our Housing Report, the lack of up-to-date and region-specific data on housing is a significant barrier in addressing the housing crisis. As such, the government is conducting Housing Needs Assessments to identify areas of greatest need and region-specific housing challenges.
To ensure the student voice is represented in their findings, complete the Public Housing Needs Survey (http://www.nshousingneeds.ca) !
Sexual Harassment in Experiential Learning Research to Action Survey
Possibility Seeds, in collaboration withCourage to Act (https://www.couragetoact.ca), are conducting the first nationalSexual Harassment in Experiential Learning Research to Action project (https://www.couragetoact.ca/elp) looking at the prevalence and impact of sexual harassment that students face in experiential learning contexts. The Respect at Work Report found almost half (44%) of respondents had experienced to at least one behaviour/practice of sexual harassment and violence while at work. Students are especially vulnerable in experiential learning due to underlying power differentials. To date, there has been little to no research addressing this issue.
Your participation in Courage to Act’s survey will help them understand the issue, identify promising practices, and propose legislative amendments to address gaps in protection for students in experiential learning positions. Complete the survey at www.couragetoact.ca/elp!
Supports for Postsecondary Mental Health
Students are particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges, many of which have worsened over the past few years. There are many resources available to support student wellbeing, some of which are the result of student advocacy. For example, HealthyMindsNS is a suite of e-mental health tools particularly adapted for the needs of postsecondary students. These tools are available for free, 24/7/365 at healthymindsns.ca. (http://healthymindsns.ca)
Good2Talk: A free, confidential postsecondary student helpline that provides professional counselling, information and referrals for mental health, addictions and wellbeing to students in Nova Scotia. To talk to someone, call 1-833-292-3698.
Crisis Text Line: Crisis Text Line Powered by Kids Help Phone is a Canadian text-based volunteer-support service. Just text Good2TalkNS to 686868 to be connected to a volunteer-supporter from the privacy of your phone.
TAO: TAO Self-Help is an online mental health library with interactive modules to help you understand and manage how you think, feel and act.
TogetherAll: a safe and anonymous online peer community for mental health, freely available 24/7 to all youth and young adults aged 16+, and postsecondary students in Nova Scotia.