News

Nova Scotia students welcomed today’s commitment from the NDP to help graduates with student loans purchase their first home.

Nova Scotia students strongly support yesterday’s Liberal Party platform commitment to introduce $3.7 million in graduate research scholarships.

Nova Scotia students strongly support Liberal Party leader Stephen McNeil’s election promise to eliminate interest on provincial student loans.

Students Nova Scotia is condemning the misogynistic chant promoting sexual assault at Saint Mary’s University.

Nova Scotia students have repeated their calls for a freeze in tuition, as the Maritime Provinces’ Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) confirmed today that tuition in Nova Scotia grew faster than inflation again this year. Universities across the province increased their tuition by 3 percent, the maximum allowed by the Province, while provincial operating grants were cut by 3 percent.

Nova Scotia Student Unions, with support from the Provincial Government, have announced multiple projects that aim to prevent sexual assault on campuses and reduce risks around alcohol consumption. The total value of the initiatives is $46,156, with contributions of $31,291 from the Province, $13,465 from student unions, and $1,400 from Cape Breton University.

The members of Students Nova Scotia are unanimously demanding that universities pursue Wagemark certification and establish a reasonable and fair wage variance between their highest and lowest paid employees. The move comes on the heels of the mandatory disclosure of salaries above $100,000, which revealed that in 2012 the average president’s salary at Nova Scotia’s public post-secondary institutions was $277,000.

A prosperous and sustainable future for Nova Scotia depends on the province’s ability to tap the potential of international students, according to a report released today by StudentsNS. The report finds that international students are critically important to Nova Scotia as potential immigrants, pupils in our classrooms, and cultural and economic contributors. However, the government and our universities may be squandering this opportunity by failing to support these students’ successful integration.

In a Youth Poll released today by the Springtide Collective, 42% of respondents reported that “jobs and the economy” was the most important issue facing Nova Scotia. The finding further confirms that youth are facing an employment crisis in the province, at a time when the 45+ age group has absorbed almost all post-recession employment growth.

The Association of Atlantic Universities released survey results today confirming that most international students are interested in immigration, and for one in three immigration is their primary motivation for studying in Nova Scotia. Government, business, universities and all Nova Scotians must help integrate newcomers into our job market and our communities to ensure they stay.