Province passes bill making changes to post-secondary education

EDMONTON —  The provincial government has passed amendments to the Post-secondary Learning Act proposed this fall.

An Act to Improve the Affordability and Accessibility of Post-secondary Education passed third reading in the legislature on Tuesday, preparing it for royal assent.

The bill allows the provincial government to implement tuition freezes and align tuition increases to the province’s Consumer Price Index. The law also ties mandatory non-instructional fees to the actual costs of the services, and would also allow them to be frozen to ensure they remain affordable.

“Post-secondary education is one of the best investments people can make in their lives,” said Marlin Schmidt, Minister of Advanced Education, in a news release. “Extending the tuition freeze and implementing a revised tuition framework makes this investment more affordable so every Albertan has access to a good education and, ultimately, good jobs.”