Advanced Education Minister Melanie Mark said she鈥檚 鈥渢hrilled鈥� to see so many students taking advantage of the new program. Photograph By DARREN STONE, Times Colonist
The number of ex-foster kids getting a free education at B.C. colleges and universities jumped 20 per cent after the NDP government waived tuition fees last fall, statistics show.
A total of 229 ex-foster kids received tuition waivers from September to December compared with 189 for the entire 2016-17 school year, the government said.
The province has spent $443,000 on the program to date to cover tuition and mandatory fees at 17 post-secondary schools.
Advanced Education Minister Melanie Mark said she鈥檚 鈥渢hrilled鈥� to see so many students taking advantage of the new program.
鈥淲hen we created the policy, they said: 鈥榃hat鈥檚 going to be the measure of success? What鈥檚 success going to look like?鈥� And I said: 鈥極ne. If one more student goes to post-secondary, that鈥檚 a victory.鈥�
鈥淪o we鈥檝e got an increase of 20 per cent.鈥�
Mark said the government is looking at ways to boost 鈥渨rap-around鈥� supports for the students, who are enrolled in a range of programs from nursing and pre-medical studies to trades, business and graphics design.
鈥淲e鈥檒l certainly be enhancing where needed, but we鈥檙e still listening,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 still a new policy and it鈥檚 too premature, I believe, to make any rash changes.鈥�
Premier John Horgan announced in September that his government was waiving tuition fees for former youth in care at all 26 post-secondary schools in the province.
The move expanded on programs already in place at 11 colleges and universities.
The government said the enrolment increases were mainly at schools, such as Camosun College, that previously lacked a comprehensive tuition waiver program. Camosun now has 31 former youth in care taking courses.
Joan Yates, Camosun鈥檚 vice-president of student experience, said the college was pleasantly surprised by the increase.
鈥淲e鈥檙e huge believers that education is an incredibly important tool for people in terms of rebuilding or building their lives and futures,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his just fits absolutely beautifully with our mandate, so we鈥檙e pretty happy about it.鈥�
麻豆传媒映画Island University, which was the first school to offer tuition waivers in 2013, continues to lead other institutions with 85 students attending for free this year, up from 65 last year.
The school itself covers the costs for about 35 per cent of those students, because they failed to meet the province鈥檚 requirement that applicants be under 27 years of age and have spent at least 24 months in care.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have an age cap on it and we say that to qualify [students] need to be in care for a minimum of 12 months,鈥� said William Litchfield, associate vice-president of university relations.
He added that VIU supports the students by investing in counselling and financial aid programs, and raises additional money across the country to help them with child care, housing, transportation and books.
Litchfield said VIU believes its role is to make sure all the kids in its community have an opportunity to attend a post-secondary school and find a good job.
鈥淭his is one of our favourite programs,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese are students that have gone on to win academic achievements and they鈥檙e doing absolutely fantastic, but for the most part they weren鈥檛 being given the chance they need to shine.鈥�
