by Martha Tancock
Communications

Postsecondary education reaped the benefits of the federal government's decision to reinvest its first budget surplus in 30 years. When Finance Minister Paul Martin announced the 1998 budget on Feb. 24, he listed grants, tax relief and savings plans to make university and college more accessible and affordable. He promised debt relief to graduates struggling to pay back government loans. And he restored funding to Canada's three major research funding agencies.

      Members of the Trent community say the budget is an encouraging sign of support for a higher education system that has suffered from years of cutbacks. But it could be better.

      "At least the money is coming in instead of being reduced," said Board of Governors chair Jalynn Bennett.

      "We can always hope for better," Bennett said. "At least it's constructive and at least it seems to be an indicator at the policy and political level that the government is recognizing the value of postsecondary education."

      Interim president David Smith says "this budget is clearly one that put education as a a main theme and I think we've needed that."

      It's "very encouraging from the standpoint of improved student assistance and additional research support."

      Although the Millenium Scholarship Fund doesn't kick in for another two years, when it does it will provide an average $3,000 for 100,000 students every year for 10 years. "I think that's a contribution," said Smith. "These things don't solve what is really a very serious problem now but they're a step in the right direction."

      Smith said he likes the tax and interest relief initiatives for students with outstanding loans and the incentives for parents to save for their children's future education. "It will be frustrating for current students" but it will help future college and university students.

      Peter Whyte, Trent Central Students Association's vice-president student issues, is critical, however. "I don't like it at all," he said of the budget support for students. "It doesn't make up for the largest cut to postsecondary education made in the previous budget."

      Whyte said Martin should have increased transfer payments for education to the provinces. "I find it upsetting that Martin is saying he is helping students deal with rising costs, when he's one of the reasons costs are rising."

      Whyte will take the tax relief offered to students, but he said the government should be helping students at the start rather than at the end of their education. "If students don't have help at the beginning, it is a barrier to education. You don't know you're going to get help at the end. What prevents the government from cancelling these programs?"

      Paul Healy, dean of research and graduate studies, says the restoration to 1994-95 funding levels to the three national research funding agencies is a "move in the right direction." He said the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) should have received a bigger portion of the restored funding. Of $114 million restored to the research agencies, approximately $9 million went to SSHRC. Its clientele represents 57 per cent of Canadian university researchers and 54 per cent of full-time graduate students but last year, for instance, it received only 12 per cent of federal research funding, says Healy. The majority of Trent researchers are in the social sciences and humanities. "I would have been happier it more funding had gone to SSHRC."

      Smith agreed. "There is a serious underlying problem of inadequate support for social sciences and humanities research," he said. "It's a pity the government did not take this opportunity to change that." Smith said research has "really suffered from the constraints of funding" and he hopes the government will increase funding to meet expanding research needs.

      Healy also said it is unclear whether the restored funding is for one year or more. "I hope to see a continuation of support. If it's a one-time deal...that's not as good as I would like."

      It is also unclear how SSHRC will use the new money, says Healy. It may "bolster existing programs or put it towards new targeted initiatives."

      He commends Peterborough MPP and Trent professor Peter Adams for his persistent lobbying on behalf of higher education. Adams is chair of the government's higher education caucus and "he's out there working for us," said Healy. And his job hasn't ended with this budget. "The research community will have to continue to press the government and make its case for continued funding," said Healy.

      The higher education caucus was set up in 1994 at Adams's suggestion. While there are federal standards with which provinces must comply in health and social welfare delivery to be eligible for transfer payments, there are none for higher education which is also funded by block transfers from the Ottawa. In the past four years, the Liberal caucus and cabinet have "become very, very conscious of higher education," says Adams. "The most striking thing to come out of" steady meetings with university, teacher, research and student groups is their growing sophistication of their lobbying efforts, he said.

Click here for budget details.