Good morning, Mr. Chair, esteemed committee members, fellow witnesses and members of the gallery.
I would like to start off by acknowledging the traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg people, where we have the privilege of gathering today.
My name is Adam Brown. I am the Chair of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, or CASA. I'm also the vice-president external of the University of Alberta Students' Union, and a fifth year student completing a business degree, majoring in business, economics and law.
CASA is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that represents over 360,000 students at colleges, universities and polytechnics across the country. Through a formal partnership with the Union étudiante du Québec we are entrusted a national student voice. We advocate for a post-secondary system that is accessible, affordable, innovative and of the highest quality.
Thank you for your invitation to appear before the committee to discuss our impressions of Bill C-97. I'm thankful to be here representing students at a time when there is a threat to student organizing especially here in Ontario. When students are unable to speak for themselves, it jeopardizes representation, accountability and democracy. Everyone suffers, especially post-secondary institutions. I'm hopeful that in the future, students will continue to have opportunities like this one.
Broadly speaking, we are very pleased to see budget 2019's investments in young Canadians, especially the government's commitments to student financial aid, indigenous students, graduate student research and work-integrated learning. I will spend the remainder of my time briefly overviewing our impression on the proposed changes within these areas.
Budget 2019 brings important changes to the Canada student loans program. We are especially excited to see the lowered interest rates and the new interest-free six-month grace period.
Furthermore, we are pleased to see the additional changes made to help modernize the Canada student loans program to better respond to the needs of vulnerable student loan borrowers. This includes the expanded grants for students with disabilities and the interest-free, payment-free, stackable leave for borrowers taking temporary leave due to parental or medical reasons, including severe mental health issues. This recognition and inclusion of students struggling with mental health challenges in the Canada student loans program is a welcome adjustment and will certainly support many students throughout their studies.
In 2016, the National College Health Assessment survey of Canadian post-secondary students reported that 46% of students felt, and I quote, “so depressed that it was difficult to function”.
The Mental Health Commission of Canada further reports that about a half of post-secondary students with mental health disabilities will experience the onset of their condition over the course of their post-secondary education. Our campuses are experiencing a mental health crisis and this recognition by the federal loans program is an important first step in addressing it. We are eager to see how this will continue to be applied across other areas of the program.
We were also very pleased to see tremendous investments in first nations, Métis and Inuit students through individualized education strategies, specialized skills and employment training, mental wellness initiatives, increased grants and bursaries, and investments in Arctic and northern education. We hope this will be a first step in adopting all of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action, especially in providing adequate funding to end the backlog of first nations students seeking post-secondary education.
In 2018, the Assembly of First Nations identified 36,901 students who were eligible but unable to access government funding to attend a post-secondary institution. Increasing meaningful and sustained access to post-secondary education for first nations, Métis and Inuit communities is an important first step in the ongoing journey towards reconciliation.
Students are also pleased with the investments in graduate student research, including those to the Canada graduate scholarships program, which will create 500 more master's level scholarships and 167 more doctoral scholarship awards annually. These investments will give more students the chance to contribute to Canada's growth and prosperity through innovative research.