As members return to campuses across British Columbia this fall, the usual excitement of a new school year is being overshadowed by a troubling reality: deep budget cuts are reshaping the landscape of public post-secondary education.
Cuts Across Campuses
Over the past two years, program cancellations and suspensions, faculty layoffs, and reduced services have become the new normal. Vancouver Island University alone has cut 14 programs this year, bringing the total number lost to 22 since 2023. It’s also suspended another 6 for review. The College of New Caledonia has cut arts and English language programs, while Selkirk College has suspended 8 post-graduate diplomas, including culinary management, hospitality management, and gerontological nursing. These are just a few examples of the widespread cuts we’re seeing at public institutions across the province.
These cuts ripple out to students directly: fewer course options and longer waitlists have the potential to delay your graduation if you’re unable to take the credits you need when you need to. At the same time, hiring freezes and layoffs have removed hundreds of faculty and staff positions across the province, with more expected in the months ahead.
Shrinking Services, Growing Wait Times
Beyond the classroom, campus services are also shrinking. Members are reporting reduced library and cafeteria hours, fewer academic advising options, and eliminated supports for Indigenous students. Access to counselling—a lifeline for many—has become even harder.
"This is the most difficult start to the school year we’ve seen since the pandemic,” said Debi Herrera Lira, Chairperson of the BC Federation of Students (BCFS). “Less staff means fewer classes, so waitlists keep growing. Cuts are making necessary supports, like academic advising or counselling, even harder to access."
The Root Cause: Chronic Underfunding
The driving force behind these challenges is not new. In 2000, the provincial government funded 68% of institutions’ operating revenue. Today, that number has dropped to just 40%. The difference has been shifted onto students and their families through tuition fees—particularly international students, whose higher fees have long filled the gap.
But that model is no longer sustainable. With the federal government’s cap on international study permits, introduced in January 2024, enrolment has dropped sharply. Today, nearly all of BC’s public institutions are facing financial troubles. Simon Fraser University, for example, expects 500 fewer international undergraduates this year, representing a $20 million loss in revenue.
A Call for Reinvestment
“The only solution is for the BC government to meaningfully reinvest in our public post-secondary institutions,” Herrera Lira emphasized. “Their inaction is making it harder for students to graduate, hurting communities that rely on institutions as economic anchors, and threatening the province’s ability to train tomorrow’s workforce.”
Without reinvestment, tuition fees for all students—both domestic and international—will continue to rise, making education less affordable and deepening the financial burden on families.
The BCFS is calling for the government to restore public funding to at least 75% of operating budgets, the level it was before 2000. Such reinvestment would ensure that institutions are no longer forced into harmful cycles of cuts and layoffs.
Why This Matters to Everyone
Post-secondary education is not just a student issue—it’s a community and provincial issue. Students today are tomorrow’s healthcare workers, teachers, tradespeople, and innovators.
“A lack of funding isn’t just a student issue, it affects everyone,” Herrera Lira said. “An investment in post-secondary is an investment in a stable workforce, a strong economy, and BC’s future.”
How You Can Help
We know cuts suck—and students shouldn’t have to keep paying the price. That’s why we launched the Cuts Suck. Fix Education. campaign.
What can we do? We have to be so loud they can’t ignore us.
Help spread the word to your friends, family, and community. Together, we can protect the programs and services on our campuses that we rely on and stop tuition hikes.
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