N.S. Liberals call for free medical school tuition
The Liberal Party of Nova Scotia is calling for a program that would encourage medical school grads to stay in the province after graduation. The initiative would provide funding to pay for students’ tuition and some living costs in exchange for five years of service. Funding would be…
Photo essay: McMaster’s Israel Apartheid Rally
McMaster University was the scene of a boisterous rally today as pro-Israel and pro-Palestine took to the microphone to condemn or support Israel. The event wasn’t good or bad – at least it didn’t break down into a physical confrontation. The “after-rally” was very hardline. Even this was…
Quebec cracks down on ancillary fees
The Quebec government announced a cap on extra fees charged to students on top of tuition. The move is intended to monitor ancillary fees at universities and close loophole that allowed universities to raise fees despite strict regulation of tuition costs. Education minister Michelle Courchesne noted that ancillary…
Budget 2008: Millennium Foundation to be replaced
A decade after it was created, the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation will be replaced by a new needs-based, non-repayable grant program to be called the Canada Student Grant Program. The Conservative government says that, after a year-long review of student aid, it found the Foundation had limited success…
BUDGET 2008: That’s it?
The 2008 federal budget had been widely expected to contain several major initiatives in higher education, but what the Conservative government delivered on Tuesday was instead a modest tinkering with the status quo, with some additional money for research, and housekeeping changes at two major student aid programs.…
Budget 2008: No interest rate cut for Canada Student Loan borrowers
After a year long review, the Conservative government announced only administrative changes to the Canada Student Loans Program in the 2008/09 federal budget. Although sources close to government expected an interest rate cut, the Conservative government did not set student loan interest at prime. The federal rate will…
Post-secondary recruitment in isolated or disadvantaged communities
The *Hamilton Spectator *ran a story on Saturday about a recruitment trip by Hamilton’s Mohawk College to Moose Factory in northern Ontario. The story itself is very interesting. It is also nationally relevant – it speaks to a wider issue, the need for all post-secondary institutions to actively…
News release of the year
Colleges Ontario put out a news release at 11am this morning about its "Obay" viral marketing campaign. The campaign involves advertisements for a fictional mind-control medicine which stops young people from thinking for themselves. The goal of the campaign is to encourage parents to stop discouraging their children…
While I play tourist in Ottawa
I am going to play “tourist” today in Ottawa. (I’m really meeting with people in preparation for tomorrow’s budget but checking out the sights on the side) So, while this blog plays dead for the next 6 hours (expect posts about 5pm eastern), you can visit Paul Wells…
Let’s go to McMaster
This Friday, McMaster University will be the scene of a Toronto-organized protest in favour of useless rhetoric. McMaster University denied the Palestinian “solidarity movement” the ability to hang banners screaming “Israeli Apartheid.” This attack on inflammatory and inaccurate words cannot be tolerated. How dare the university require truth…