The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), which all Camosun students are members of, has launched a campaign rallying against student grants being slashed. The #HalfYourCSG campaign is urging the federal government to not decrease the student grant maximum from $6,000 to $3,000. The government increased the maximum to $6,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that is set to go back to $3,000 in July.
CASA director of advocacy Kordell Walsh says that he experienced financial hardship while studying in Ontario when the government made changes to its student loan system; now he’s speaking up for students who are financially struggling.
“We’re just advocating for that funding to be maintained permanently because we believe that Canada student grants are a critical pillar within the Canada Student Financial [Assistance] Program, which is designed to make post-secondary education more accessible for low- and middle-income students,” says Walsh.
Walsh believes that although the grant increase was due to the pandemic, financial instability is still rampant among students.
“Ultimately, I think the federal government implemented the program as what they saw as a temporary measure, just given exceptional circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic,” he says. “And I think what students are seeing is, those exceptional financial circumstances are still continuing. Students are still feeling the impact of lost summers of income or increased rent prices and things like that.”
CASA has been collecting student testimonials from across Canada; they hope to use these testimonials to persuade the federal government to keep the grant maximum as it stands currently. Walsh says the testimonials they’ve received so far are heartbreaking yet necessary to implement change. (See casa-acae.com/halfyourcsg for testimonials and more information on the campaign; CASA is continuing to collect testimonials from students.)
“We’ve been hearing stories all year from student leaders and students across the country, whether it be students who are already accessing food banks or students who are dealing with homelessness while in their studies,” he says. “And losing what could be up to $3,000 more, while inflation is at such a high, and while rent prices are continuing to rise, and tuition prices, the extra $3,000 could be the make or break for many students.”
CASA is using social media to spread the word about the campaign and hopes that the federal government will respond accordingly.
“The federal government, over the next couple of months, is working on finalizing and presenting their budget for the upcoming year. I think the hope is really ensuring that this priority is being reflected in the federal budget,” says Walsh. “So, over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be continuing to solicit testimonials from students. And then from there, once we’ve gotten a bunch amassed, we’ll be sharing more stories on social media, continuing to consult with government departments, and share these stories with government officials, and really encourage and try to ensure that this program is maintained at the current funding level.”
Walsh is optimistic that the campaign will be successful in implementing change. He is hopeful that more students will become aware of this campaign and will share their experiences with CASA.
“The more aware students are of the campaign and the program itself,” says Walsh, “I think, the better chance we have of succeeding and the better chance we have of ensuring that students are going to receive the supports that are really essential to them in the upcoming academic year, and really, hopefully, beyond.”