UCalgary students rally to reverse cuts, freeze fees

University of Calgary (UCalgary) students said enough is enough at a Monday rally, with calls to reverse post-secondary funding cuts and close mandatory fee loopholes.

The rally happened inside MacEwan Hall on UCalgary grounds.

While the Alberta government has announced a two per cent tuition cap starting in 2024, the school’s student union says more needs to be done.

“The two per cent tuition cap is a drop in the bucket after the biggest tuition hikes in Alberta history,” said Mateusz Salmassi, vice president of the UCalgary Student Union (SU).

“Right now, students are paying at least 33 per cent more since 2019.”

Students gather at a rally inside MacEwan Hall on the University of Calgary grounds in Calgary on Monday, March 27, 2023. (Tate Laycraft, CityNews image)

Though UCalgary’s student union welcomes the cap, they say it fails to address the regulation of mandatory fees.

It says without proper limitations, schools like UCalgary can increase mandatory charges at will.

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Meanwhile, when paired with the costs of inflation and tuition, more and more students are finding themselves in a pinch.

“Students here are really, really stressed out, which my heart goes out for. It’s a very hard time for a lot of kids here today,” said David Park, a fourth-year student at UCalgary.

The union is also asking for inflationary support for students.

Former teacher and current city councillor Courtney Walcott echoed their calls.

“These are spaces that we need to uplift. That social safety net we need to uplift for all Calgarians. Students, for me, are one part of a spectrum of people who need support,” Walcott told CityNews.

Related Stories:

• UCalgary students feel left behind in Alberta budget

• UCalgary students to protest tuition increase

• Alberta Budget 2023: $2.4B surplus expected

In a statement, UCalgary says it supports respectful free speech as long as it doesn’t interfere with classes.

Meanwhile, Alberta’s ministry of advanced education sent a statement which says, in part, “Tuition in Alberta is comparable to the national average. To help our students, we have increased spending on student financial assistance and reduced the interest rate on student loans.”