THE PLATFORM

This platform was created by student leaders from Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic, representing over 25,000 students at public post-secondary institutions in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s post-secondary system is at a breaking point. Memorial University (MUN) and the College of the North Atlantic (CNA) have long served as pillars of opportunity, culture, and innovation in this province, but years of underfunding and austerity have pushed students, faculty, and institutions to the edge.

In 2021, the government made the largest cut to university funding in NL’s history, $68.4 million and ended a 22-year tuition freeze. The consequences of this cut were put directly onto the backs students and their families. Tuition more than doubled for many, while international students continue to face discriminatory and unaffordable fees.

Today, post-secondary students are facing:

  • Unaffordable tuition

  • Fewer course offerings

  • Program cuts

  • Shrinking student supports

  • Crumbling infrastructure

  • Declining enrollment

  • Growing inequality in access

But this decline is not inevitable—it’s a political choice. And it’s time to choose something better.

Ahead of the upcoming Provincial Election, CFS-NL is calling on all political parties and candidates to commit to the following platform:

  • 1. Reduce and Freeze Tuition

    • Reduce tuition at MUN and CNA to pre-2022 levels within your four-year term, and freeze tuition at these established rates.

  • 2. Enforce Transparency in Public Funding

    • Provide clear directive to MUN administration on the use of government funding, with specific emphasis on the Tuition Offset Grant.

  • 3. End Discrimination Against International Students

    • Eliminate differential fees for international students at MUN and CNA.

    • Support equal access to education for all students, regardless of nationality

  • 4. Reinvest in Our Public Institutions

    • Increase overall operational funding to MUN and CNA to reverse austerity measures and restore quality education across the province

  • 5. Guarantee Paid Work Placements

    • Commit to paid work placements for all students, particularly nursing, social work, education, and pharmacy students at MUN.

  • 6. Expand Student Aid for All

    • Expand student aid eligibility to include international students.

Why It Matters

Post-secondary education in NL has always been about public access, public good, and public leadership. From Joey Smallwood’s promise of free tuition in 1965 to the hard-won victories of student organizers in the decades since, the legacy of accessibility is one we cannot afford to lose.

MUN was founded as a living memorial, a promise to future generations. That promise is under threat. But with political will, we can restore it.

This Election, Vote for Students. Vote for Our Future.

We call on every candidate and party to publicly support this platform, as well as unions, non-profits, organizations, and associations.

Students are organizing. Students are watching. And students will vote.

Contact us

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