July 28, 2008

PROVINCE APPOINTS COMMISSIONER ON TUITION AND ACCESSIBILITY TO POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION


The provincial government has established a Commission on Tuition Fees and Accessibility to Post-secondary Education to review access to post-secondary education in Manitoba including tuition fees and student financial assistance, Advanced Education and Literacy Minister Diane McGifford announced today.

“As part of our government’s ongoing commitment to ensure post-secondary education in Manitoba is accessible and affordable, I am appointing University of Toronto Prof. Ben Levin as commissioner of this review,” McGifford said. “He is a respected academic and administrator familiar with post‑secondary education systems throughout Canada including Manitoba’s. Accordingly, Dr. Levin’s expertise is well-suited to the task.”

The one-person commission was first announced this past spring. The terms of reference include a review of research on the relationship of tuition fees to university accessibility; analysis of data on university participation rates with particular attention to under-represented groups such as Aboriginal, rural, northern and mature students; and analysis of current tuition and ancillary fees in Manitoba compared to other provinces and countries.

The commissioner will also review student aid from federal, provincial and institution-based sources and determine its impact on accessibility; discuss the contribution of student fees to overall post‑secondary education financing compared to other jurisdictions; and review the scope and role of provincial education tax credits. Recommendations for public policy and legislation are expected to be available in March 2009.

Levin will consult with interested parties including universities, colleges, student groups and key external stakeholders. Members of the public may also send submissions to www.postsecondarycommission.mb.ca.

Levin is currently a professor and Canada Research chair in the department of theory and policy studies at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education, University of Toronto. From late 2004 until early 2007, he was deputy minister of education for Ontario. From 1999 through 2002, he was deputy minister of advanced education and deputy minister of education, training and youth in Manitoba.

“Levin is highly regarded both nationally and internationally for his work in educational policy and reform”, said McGifford.