Students Respond to Nova Scotia Budget 2024-25

Halifax, NS - Today, the Government of Nova Scotia released the 2024-25 Budget, which saw an expansion to the Affordable Housing and Development Program to accept proposals from universities and a continued investment in paid co-op and internship opportunities for students. However, this budget saw a decrease of $4.2 million in the Nova Scotia Student Financial Assistance Program, representing a 7.1% cut to program budget estimates. 

While the housing crisis impacts all Nova Scotians, students face additional challenges to accessing affordable, needs-based housing in their communities. As of 2022, nearly 9% of students are currently unhoused, with an additional 17% of students living in crowded housing without enough beds for their household. The expansion of the Affordable Housing and Development Program is a necessary step to enhance the capacity of institutions to provide on-campus housing, but additional funding is essential to meet the diverse housing needs of students across the province.

“​​Additional housing at NSCC campuses is a step in the right direction, however over 50,000 university students across the province are still waiting for housing support and a broader provincial strategy that includes their needs as well,” says Matt Doyle, Chair of Students Nova Scotia. “We were promised a Provincial Student Housing Strategy release a year ago and cannot afford to wait for meaningful action on student housing. We hope this budget will be followed with a fully developed student housing plan that encompasses the needs of all postsecondary students.”

Advanced Education program funding decisions have significant impacts on students across the province, particularly for Nova Scotians who choose to stay in their home province to pursue higher education. Domestic university tuition within Nova Scotia is currently the highest in the country at 36.5% above the national average and increasing at a much faster rate than the national average. The cut to Student Financial Assistance is of particular concern as Nova Scotia has the 3rd lowest median family income in Canada, with educational access playing a critical role in mediating intergenerational cycles of poverty. 

“Students across the province are being priced out of their education and we have advocated for sustainable increases to financial assistance maximums to address the affordability and accessibility of postsecondary in Nova Scotia,” says G Saleski, Executive Director of Students Nova Scotia. “We are concerned to see the reduction in funding for Student Financial Assistance when maximums haven’t been increased in almost a decade and the affordability crisis is at an all time high.”

Students Nova Scotia remains committed to advocating for postsecondary student affordability and accessibility across the province. We continue to seek increased student consultation and involvement at the table, as we know the incredible value that students contribute to our province through innovation, research, and the creation of solutions for a stronger Nova Scotia.