FPSE Responds to 2024 Provincial Budget

For Immediate Release
February 22, 2024

The Federation of Post-Secondary Educators of BC (FPSE) attended the budget lock-up today ahead of Finance Minister Katrine Conroy rising in the House to present the budget in the legislature. Today’s budget, the last in the current government’s mandate, outlined numerous priorities including housing and health care. However, beyond capital projects, there were no new commitments for ongoing post-secondary funding.

“We were hoping to see some kind of commitment in today’s budget to help BC colleges and universities adapt to the federal government’s recent decision to cut the number of international student visas for Canada,” said FPSE President Brent Calvert.

In January, the federal government abruptly announced a 35% reduction in the number of international student visas starting in September 2024. The new allocation will be based on population, province by province, as opposed to existing visas in the system; accordingly, Ontario and British Columbia will be the most adversely affected. Ontario has already announced its intention to provide emergency funding to its institutions. In this budget, Minister Conroy outlined the move from a forecast allowance line item to a contingency accounting model. For the upcoming fiscal year, the contingency is set at $3.5 billion.

“The sudden cuts announced by the federal government will result in significant budget shortfalls at a number of our institutions across the province. This seems like the definition of a contingency for which the province should draw on reserves to help BC colleges and universities. Furthermore, we ask that Premier Eby join Premier Ford of Ontario in aggressively lobbying the federal government to recognize the disproportionate effect of these changes on Ontario and British Columbia,” said Calvert. “Some of our institutions are already in a precarious financial position and will need some form of assistance. The provincial government encouraged and enabled international student recruitment as a way of backfilling the lack of public funding. We believe the provincial government now has an important role to play in ensuring a stable, well-funded system of post-secondary education in the province,” concluded Calvert. 

In 2022, the provincial government launched a post-secondary funding formula review, the first phase of which was headed by Don Wright, respected former Deputy Minister and President of BCIT. FPSE and our sector partners devoted considerable work to advising the government on possibilities for revamping the formula. That project has since been buried, and the Ministry now avoids any reference to the funding formula. 

“Shelving the funding formula review has resulted in a missed opportunity, and that decision looks particularly unwise now that the province is dealing with a rapid adjustment in the market for international students,” said Calvert.

We congratulate Minister Lisa Beare on her recent appointment as Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, and we look forward to an ongoing dialogue with her on these pressing issues in our sector.

Media inquiries: 
Brent Calvert, President, FPSE 
604.873.8988, ext. 107 
info@fpse.ca