StudentsNS Commends One-Time Grant and OER Funding for Postsecondary Affordability
Halifax, NS - Today, Students Nova Scotia was pleased to support the Government of Nova Scotia's announcement addressing the affordability and accessibility of postsecondary education for university and college students across the province.
The Province’s commitment includes a one-time grant, providing increased support to students facing financial barriers to higher education. The grant will provide $1,350 to each student receiving Nova Scotia student financial assistance while attending a postsecondary institution in the province. The commitment also includes a collaborative effort with four Atlantic provinces to fund Atlantic Open Educational Resources (OERs), an accessible and affordable alternative to costly, traditional, commercial textbooks.
“It’s important that the government recognizes the financial challenges postsecondary students face, and this is a welcomed step in the right direction,” says Matt Doyle, Chair of Students Nova Scotia and Vice President External at StFX University Students’ Union. “We highlighted these measures as critical priorities for Students Nova Scotia in our discussions with the government and stakeholders during Advocacy Week in November, and are happy to see them reflected in the announcement today.”
In 2020, StudentsNS supported the Council of Atlantic Academic Librarians (CAAL) launch of a pilot repository entitled AtlanticOER. This platform allows educators to share materials, access and adapt other educators' resources and develop their OERs. To date, 23,643 students have been impacted by these OERs, with a cumulative savings of $892,127. AtlanticOER can increase access to higher education in the region while simultaneously enabling Nova Scotia to innovate learning and create educational materials tailored to the specific needs of educators and learners across the province.
“Students Nova Scotia has been at the forefront of promoting Open Educational Resources (OERs) as a solution to alleviate financial burdens on students,” says Sadie McAlear, Vice Chair of Students Nova Scotia and President of the Acadia Students’ Union. “Beyond tuition, students face many high costs associated with postsecondary, including the price of mandatory textbooks. The announcement of funding for Atlantic OERs is a long-awaited recognition of the issues we've been advocating for and we appreciate the government’s responsiveness to student needs.”
Students Nova Scotia commends these comprehensive measures taken by the government to address the financial challenges faced by postsecondary students. We look forward to continuing working collaboratively with the Province to improve the accessibility, affordability, quality, and the role of the student voice in our post-secondary system.