What's New:

April 2, 2009

Commission on Tuition Fees and Accessibility to Post-Secondary Education in Manitoba. Report to the Minister of Manitoba Advanced Education and Literacy (pdf 474 KB)

Nov 10, 2008

The Commissioner has met with main stakeholder organizations in post-secondary education and with a number of other interested parties such as high school principals and counselors.  Further meetings are scheduled. Dr Levin continues to invite expression of views and submissions from interested persons or organizations via this website.  Advertisements have also been placed in Manitoba newspapers to encourage participation by interested parties.

The following discussion questions have been posed as being of particular interest:

1. What is the current state of accessibility to post-secondary education in Manitoba?  What are strong points and successes?  Where are the most significant gaps and problems?  

2. What are the most important barriers to access?  What role do financial issues play in comparison with academic preparation, personal motivation and supports, and institutional acceptance and support?   What role does or should accurate, easily available information about post-secondary education, financing, and earnings play?

3. Are there different barriers, hence a need for different strategies for various target groups (e.g. low socioeconomic status, Aboriginals, recent immigrants, gender, rural, disability, visible minorities, francophones)?

4. Over the last ten years, Manitoba students have had lowered then frozen tuition, increased tax credits, increased grants (through the CMSF and Manitoba bursaries) and, most recently, tuition rebates for graduates who stay in Manitoba.  What impact have these various changes had on accessibility?  What is the current state of overall financial assistance for Manitoba students, taking into account federal and provincial Student Aid as well as institutional supports?

5. What is the best balance of loans, bursaries and grants, loan forgiveness, and tax credits in addressing financial issues around accessibility?

6. How good is the Manitoba student aid program?  What changes in student aid might be desirable to support accessibility?