CAUS Stands Alongside International Students
October 4, 2022
For Immediate Release
Edmonton, AB - As the Minister of Advanced Education shares the news regarding the creation of the Alberta Bureau for International Education (ABIE), we at the Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) would like to call for an increase in support for the international students already here in Alberta.
Across CAUS campuses, student leaders have been hearing about international students facing high levels of food insecurity. At the University of Alberta, a top destination for international students, a study by the students’ union found that 32% of international students were regularly skipping meals out of financial necessity. Similarly, international students have been faced with increasing housing insecurity, particularly in cities such as Calgary, on top of exceptionally high tuition rates. Students also face a lack of support on campuses, due to issues such as a lack of culturally appropriate care providers, on top of the logistical difficulties of adapting to a new country and culture.
Due to federal regulations, international students may only work a maximum of 20 hours a week, and are unable to obtain much of the financial assistance available to domestic students. While there is an understandable cost to studying out of one’s home country, international students still deserve to be treated as students, not as a potential source of revenue. If we want students to choose Alberta for their studies, we need to ensure that we have an educational experience worth offering; a daily reality of food insecurity, precarious housing, and a lack of support do not make us look appealing to potential students.
We know that we can do better, as Alberta’s history is one of high quality post-secondary education. Right now, however, that legacy is not the reality for countless students across the province, both domestic and international.
International students need adequate representation at the Alberta Bureau for International Education, and CAUS is calling for the appointment of international student leaders to sit alongside other representatives at the bureau. CAUS is also calling for increased cooperation between the federal and provincial governments, as well as between government ministries, in order to support the retention of international students via additional permanent residency options. More than that, however, CAUS calls for the Government of Alberta to increase investment into our post-secondary system, particularly into areas such as mental health services on campus (including culturally appropriate mental health services), campus food security, and emergency funding for students in need. All students within Alberta deserve the best education possible.
The Council of Alberta University Students (CAUS) represents the interests of over 114,000 undergraduate students at Athabasca University, MacEwan University, Mount Royal University, the University of Alberta, and the University of Lethbridge.
For more information please contact:
CAUS
Alexandra Ages
Executive Director