A tuition cut targeting Nova Scotians attending university in the province has been called discriminatory because it excludes students from the rest of the country.
Education Minister Karen Casey announced the tuition cut Friday, saying more than 23,000 students will see their tuition drop by $440 in January.
"We are making university education more affordable to most of our Nova Scotia students," she said.
But that leaves out about one-third of the students attending universities in the province.
The Canadian Federation of Students called the province's plan a step in the right direction, but said no Canadian should be discriminated against based on where they grew up.
"Students who come from Ontario or come from Alberta or Quebec or B.C. to study in Nova Scotia can vote, they pay taxes in Nova Scotia," said Chris Parsons, the Nova Scotia representative for the group. "This benefit should apply to them as well."
Nova Scotia tuition highest in country
University tuition in Nova Scotia is the highest in the country. While the national average for an undergraduate education is $4,347, in Nova Scotia it's $6,571.
"Just because I didn't grow up here doesn't mean I don't have as much of an attachment to Nova Scotia as anyone else, and it doesn't mean that I don't contribute to society here just as much as a student from Nova Scotia," said Kaley Kennedy of Toronto, a second-year student at the University of King's College in Halifax.
Friday's announcement comes as $28.8 million is transferred to the province from Ottawa through the Infrastructure Trust Fund.
The money is supposed to be used over two years, so the province plans to spend $10.3 million to lower tuition fees in January and about $8.8 million next September.
Casey said the rest of the transfer money would be spent on apprenticeship programs and grants for students from low-income families.
The tuition cut applies to students who selected Nova Scotia as their province of origin on their registration form. They can expect to see about $440 deducted from their tuition bill in January.
Appeal possible
Education officials say there will be an appeal process for students who didn't receive the tuition cut but believe they're eligible for it.
NDP education critic Bill Estabrooks, a New Brunswick native who graduated from Dalhousie University in Halifax, said the cut should apply to everyone because the money comes from the federal government.
"Would it have discouraged me to come to this province and get an education? Probably it would have," he said.
But the education minister rejects suggestions that out-of-province students should also benefit. Casey said the funding from Ottawa for post-secondary education is based on its population, not the percentage of students who attend universities.
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