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Alberta

Province caps tuition increases and reduces student load interest rate to make post-secondary education more affordable

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Making post-secondary education more affordable

Alberta’s government is taking action to improve affordability, address inflation and make tuition more stable and predictable for Alberta’s post-secondary students.

Alberta’s economy has recovered strongly, but students are struggling to keep up with the increased cost of living. Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring post-secondary education remains accessible and affordable for all Albertans. That’s why Advanced Education is providing post-secondary students with new, targeted affordability supports.

As part of Budget 2023, government plans to improve affordability for post-secondary students by:

  • Capping domestic tuition increases at two per cent across an institution in 2024-25 and for future academic years.
  • Reducing interest rates on student loans to the prime rate,  which will help reduce the cost of borrowing for both current and future Alberta student loan borrowers.
  • Doubling the student loan interest-free grace period from six months to 12 months to give students more time to find gainful employment without having to worry about student loan payments.
  • Increasing the thresholds for the Repayment Assistance Plan to $40,000 from $25,000 so more students can benefit from the program.

In addition, Alberta’s government is providing additional funding to increase the Alberta Student Grant by $225 per month for each eligible student during the 2022-23 loan year.

“High inflation has made life more expensive for all Albertans, including post-secondary students. These new measures will help all students deal with higher costs during these challenging times.”

Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Advanced Education

Alberta’s government recently provided the largest inflation relief package in Canada, with significant broad-based and targeted supports. These actions ensure post-secondary students also receive targeted affordability supports.

“These new affordability measures for students are an important addition to our Affordability Action Plan, and underscore our commitment to students and to keeping Alberta affordable.”

Matt Jones, Minister of Affordability and Utilities

More than 10,000 low-income students receive this funding. The funding boost to the Alberta Student Grant means eligible students willreceive up to a total of $475 per month.

This additional per month funding will be retroactive, meaning students will receive the additional $225 per month effective the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year in the form of a lump sum payment. Students receiving this additional funding from the Alberta Student Grant will be notified by Alberta Student Aid in March. They should also receive the additional funding from student aid during this time.

“This announcement marks the implementation of longstanding requests from student leaders around affordability. On behalf of Alberta’s students, it is great to see increased efforts to ensure that post-secondary is more accessible and affordable for all.”

Samantha Scott, chair, Council of Alberta’s University Students

“Students have been struggling with the rising costs of attending post-secondary. We are happy to see student voices being heard and steps being taken to address affordability.”

Janmejay Rao, co-chair, Alberta Graduate Provincial Advocacy Council

Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring post-secondary education is accessible and affordable. These measures will ease the impact of inflation so post-secondary students can focus on their education and worry less about paying the bills. They will also make it easier for student loan borrowers to make their loan payments and effectively transition into the workforce.

Alberta

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Media Roundtable from Washington

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From the YouTube channel of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith

Members of the media join Premier Danielle Smith for a round table on January 21, 2025.

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Alberta

Is There Any Canadian Province More Proud of their Premier Today…

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Prior to Trumps inauguration event and announcement was made that Trump would not be imposing the 25% tariffs…

Which means, Canada seriously dodged a bullet here.

And while the Liberals will most likely frame this as, their success in showing, Bad Orange Man, that they’re tough and ready to burn down what is left of our economy, throwing Alberta under the bus, first…through a nuclear option…

Premier Smith rode this challenge out like the true champion we knew that she would be.

It’s hard to say if this was a legality matter in the grander scheme…or if the 25% tariffs would have truly been as big of an impact on the US…

One thing is clear, however…

Smith was ready to go to the tables with the Trump administration and opt for diplomacy over threats…which should be what we expect from our leaders.

And should these 25% tariffs have gone through…I’m more than sure a Plan B would have been brought out in civil conversations, over screeching rhetoric.

“She’s treasonous”, they screeched.

“She’s supporting her friends in Oil and Gas”, they relent.

“She should put Canada first”, they echo…

And let’s just address these…

Is Walmart beholden to Campbells soup? Fruit of the Loom? Kraft?

Or does Walmart sell products that helps keep their doors open?

Walmart is not beholden to any product…just like Premier Smith isn’t. We have 26% of our GDP – the largest portion – owed to Alberta O&G, something that we have a limited trade partner with, due to the Liberal – Anti-Alberta/Anti-O&G/Anti-Pipeline attitude that wants to spend us further in debt with unreliable and expensive “Renewables”.

What does Alberta get from renewables?

A higher cost for energy, in an affordability crisis, created by the same people who continue to push them…sounds like a terrible deal, for Albertans, and something a true leader would Not Favor.


When Walmart sits down to hash out a deal with Heinz, are they committing treason because they haven’t shown their allegiance to their own, ‘Great Value’ brand Ketchup?

No…other provinces have their own industries and resources, which they are free to continue developing independent of the federal government, as is suitable and supportive of their own economies…Alberta isn’t competing with them, nor Canada as a whole.

Alberta through industry and resource, actually supports Canada through a grand imbalance on “Equalization Payments”…

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As do we through paying 50% more into the Canada Pension Plan, than we actually get out of the Canada Pension Plan…to the tune of a $334 Billion Dollars.


And as for this “Team Canada”, horseshit…

The title Premier of Alberta, should hold some clues as to who Premier Smith should be advocating for…as she is the Premier of Alberta and Not the Prime Minister, nor leader in the Liberal Party that has created this fiasco, to begin with.

Rail, as they may…other provinces can’t cast a vote in her support, either way…

None of the other provinces, through Members of Parliament, nor through Premiers, came to support Alberta and our economy through a number of Federal Bills that railed on our provincial resources…

Worse yet…these hypocrites cash cheques from our province, while telling us how to diversify our economy…to which I’d state one thing unequivocally…

If we wanted to be a Have Not Province…like you are…we’ll come and ask you for your advice.

Until then…

I’ll hold my Alberta Flag Higher than my Canadian…

And be proud today, of having the only Premier in the country of Canada, worthy of any praise today!

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