The FSAA unifies the voices of Western Canadian students and empowers them to engage in federal advocacy work to support an accessible, resilient, and world-class Canadian post-secondary education system that prioritizes the diverse needs of students today. The Coalition provides student leaders with a unified voice to advance their unique national interests.
Each of the FSAA’s Provincial Caucuses appoints two student leaders to the Cabinet, choose one policy priority and may suggest projects to undertake, annually, which ultimately guide the Coalition’s advocacy work.
SUMMARY OF 2022 RECOMMENDATIONS
The recommendations in this document would create enhanced access to financial assistance for low- and middle-income Canadians, restore necessary funding to colleges, polytechnics and universities, and reduce financial barriers to education for all learners. These actions are vital to the government’s economic recovery plan by ensuring access to high-quality education for everyone.
STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Maintain the current amount of the Canada Student Grant beyond 2023, which was doubled in 2020-21, and reform the student loan procedure.
EXPEDITED PATHWAYS TO PERMANENT RESIDENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GRADUATES
Create an expedited pathway to permanent residency and redesign citizenship processes that can be pursued without legal representation.
ENSURE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HIGHSPEED INTERNET FOR ALL
Invest in infrastructure to ensure connectivity across Canada and ensure the rates for appropriate internet speeds is affordable for all.
INCREASE ACCESS FOR INDIGENOUS LEARNERS
Increase funding to the Post-Secondary Student Support Program and ensure the application is accessible and simplified for all applicants.
EXPAND PAID STUDENT INTERNSHIPS AND WORK EXPERIENCE
Create streamlined student job placement programs that are accessible to a larger pool of students and businesses year-round.
You can view our past advocacy documents below: