NDP calls for end of Millennium Scholarship Foundation
Denise Savoie, NDP post-secondary education critic, is calling for the end of the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation. The mandate of the foundation that awards federal bursaries and scholarships is set to expire in 2009, and the government has not yet made any mention of its future.
In an open letter to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Monte Solberg, Savoie calls CMSF a “fundamentally flawed vehicle for delivering student aid.” The foundation has long been criticized for being unaccountable because of its status as a private foundation.
“Instead, the Millennium Foundation must be replaced by a publicly administered, federal system of upfront, non-repayable student grants,” Savoie wrote. “To ensure truly equitable access and adequately address Canada’s student debt crisis, these grants must be available to all Canada Student Loan borrowers, on a sliding scale according to need.”
Although Savoie called for the end of the CMSF, she expressed worry that the budget would be converted into student loans. “Converting the budget for the Millennium Foundation into more student loans would gravely hurt the ability of everyday families to afford postsecondary education,” she said.
The CMSF has distributed half a million bursaries and scholarships worth about $2.2 billion since 2000. $325-million is disbursed annually.
Many student groups have urged the government to extend the CMSF’s mandate. The Canadian Association of Student Associations says students are concerned about the “looming $350-million hole in Canada’s financial aid system.” The government should commit to the future funding of the Foundation, which significantly affects accessibility to post-secondary education, according to the group.
