This petition represents any Alberta citizens that are opposed the budget plans imposed by the Jason Kenney UCP government.

We are requesting the tuition cap be placed back on effective immediately, and budget funds be reallocated to post secondary education in all facets. 

These budget implementations can and will affect :

 - Current, future, (and graduated still paying off loans) post secondary students (local and international students) 

- Students graduating high school in the next 3 years planning to attend and post secondary, college or trade school in Alberta 

- Parents of students in Post secondary or future parents of post secondary students 

- Faculty members, K-12 teachers (working and retired), and any staff currently working on any campus

 Our main concerns are:

• The tuition cap coming off, and allowing universities to offset the governments huge budget cuts to them by imposing higher tuition rates effective next semester (January 2020). 7% per year, compounding over the next 3 years to a total hike of 21%. 

• Post secondary education budget going down 600 million (~12%) over 4 years, government expects a loss of 300 jobs in the next year because of this, this includes universities, colleges, and trade schools. Layoffs have already begun...

• No additional funding to accommodate 15000 additional k-12 students. ATA head says this equates to a 2% cut or $200 dollars per student less.

• Cutting grants for class size, fee reduction, and classroom improvement, and adding a one time transitional grant. ( Get ready for all classroom sizes to grow even more) 

• Student loan interest rates going up from just prime to prime plus 1% (for loan holders paying 30000 off over 10 years this will be an extra 15 per month or 180 per year according to government officials, which of course will be the bare minimum impact)  

The purpose of this petition is to gain awareness of how these budget cuts impact us all, and to gain momentum in a movement to oppose these changes from our UCP government. 

Please sign this petition today!! 
The longer we wait the more the government will think that they can stop investing in the future of our province. They believe that our education system doesn't work, and that cutting our resources to give tax breaks to large oil and gas corporations will stimulate our economy WHICH IS WRONG. 

All this will do is deter students from ever applying to school as it makes it seem unattainable and TOO EXPENSIVE. This will sink our population into further debt, and cause the dropout rate to become even higher. 

This is the future of our province at risk, our education, and our future generations. 

This petition is the first step in letting the government know that our citizens are appalled. Demonstrations in the form of strikes and walkouts will begin soon. Don’t be a bystander to our education system becoming something unattainable for way too many people.
They expect us to take on personal debt because education is becoming a privilege, not a right! While huge companies and corporations continue to line their pockets with tax breaks at the expense of all students and the common worker. 

This a grassroots movement starting with the students of UofC, MRU and SAIT. Join us in standing up to the 1% holding the power. 

Follow on Instagram for updates on this movement (Website to come):

@albertastudentsunited