BILL NO. 5
(as introduced)
3rd Session, 58th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
52 Elizabeth II, 2003
Universities Assistance Act (amended)
Darrell Dexter
Dartmouth-Cole Harbour
First Reading: March 28, 2003
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
Explanatory Note
This Bill prohibits the Minister of Education from providing grants to a university under the Universities Assistance Act until the university agrees to freeze tuition and other student fees at the levels in effect on the coming into force of this Bill. In addition, this Bill requires the Minister of Education to develop an action plan that provides for sustainable university funding.
An Act to Amend Chapter 13
of the Acts of 1994,
the Universities Assistance Act,
to Freeze University Tuition Fees and
to Require an Action Plan to be Developed
for Sustainable University Funding
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 Chapter 13 of the Acts of 1994, the Universities Assistance Act, is amended by adding immediately after Section 4 the following Sections:
4B (1) The Minister shall, within eight months of the coming into force of this Section, develop an action plan, including an implementation schedule, that provides a sustainable foundation for a quality post-secondary education system in the Province while ensuring affordable access for all Nova Scotians.
(2) The Minister shall table the action plan developed pursuant to subsection (1) in the House of Assembly if the House is sitting and, if the House is not sitting, the report shall be tabled with the Clerk of the House.
(3) The action plan shall take into consideration
(a) the costs of attending a Nova Scotia university compared with other universities in Canada;
(b) the consequences for access to a post secondary education for Nova Scotians and the student debt burden should tuition and other fees continue to escalate;
(c) the operating and capital cost pressures and trends confronting Nova Scotia's universities;
(d) the options for containing costs and meeting increased resource requirements; and
(e) the contribution the university sector makes to Nova Scotia's global competitiveness and the on-going requirement to develop and maintain a well-educated and highly skilled labour force in the Province.
(4) In developing the action plan referred to in subsection (1), the Minister shall ensure sufficient opportunity for participation is provided to
(a) university administrators;
(b) faculty associations;
(c) student bodies; and
(d) future students and their families.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2003 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Updated March 28, 2003. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
