On May 31, 2023 the AMS completed their BC budget consultation submission, with three recommendations supporting student financial aid, sexualized violence prevention and food security.
Every year, BC’s provincial government holds a public consultation on the upcoming budget. The VP External office submitted a report of recommendations to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. The consultation allows the AMS to highlight students’ concerns and where students need more support from the government.
Later in the year, the VP External will also attend the provincial lobby week where student unions have the opportunity to directly connect with BC government representatives to further advocate student concerns.
The first recommendation is to invest in the BC Access Grant, which is non-repayable financial assistance for low to middle-income students.
In a statement to The Ubyssey, VP External Tina Tong wrote “there has been zero changes made to [the grant] despite the negative impacts of inflation and the rising tuition fees every year.”
The submission calls for an investment in the BC Access Grant “by increasing the maximum amount given out per student and the grant cut-off threshold to improve accessibility to higher education for financially disadvantaged students.”
Currently, the maximum amount is $4,000 a year for a student enrolled in programs under two years and $1,000 for students in programs two or more years in length. No specific amount for what the increased maximum should be was included in the submission.
The submission also highlights the results of the Academic Experience Survey (AES) which report that 31 per cent of graduate students and 20 per cent of undergraduate students believe they might not be able to return to UBC due to financial reasons.
The second recommendation focuses on sexualized violence prevention by committing “annual funding to establish and maintain sexualized violence prevention offices at post-secondary institutions across the province,” states the submission.
The submission also reported that “one out of five UBC students has personally experienced sexual assault or other sexual misconduct.”
Tong wrote “there has been a lack of action from the government in the past few years which is extremely disappointing.”
The last recommendation is to “establish a new needs-based grant aimed at mitigating food insecurity amongst students from low and middle-income backgrounds.”
The AMS is recommending funding for a non-repayable food security grant initiative “so that money can go directly into their [students] pockets and they do not have to navigate accessing third-party resources for the funding they need,” wrote Tong.
Tong also wrote that “it is not only the university’s job, but also their job as well to make sure that students are fed, cared for, and not having to choose between a meal or pursuing their education.”
“We plan to continue to really strengthen our relationships with both the government and other student unions or coalitions to ensure that our advocacy is heard.”
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