The Canadian Federation of Students-Newfoundland & Labrador says they are pleased to hear of the pause in the Campus Renewal Fee at Memorial University as a result of $10 million in funding from the province.

“This Campus Renewal Fee was first implemented in Fall 2017, along with the Student Services
Fee, likely as a way for the university to find ways to get more money from students without
increasing tuition,” says Mary Feltham, Chairperson of CFS-NL. “I was told by the Vice-President pro-tempore of Grenfell at the time, that they were unaware of any plans for how these fees would be used when initially approved.”

Students have been actively speaking out against these fees since its implementation. However, CFS-NL is urging for continued action to prioritize the rights of students through making education accessible to all.
While this temporary measure will help students save money this year, they say it provides little
reassurance that post-secondary education will be made affordable in the long-term given
ongoing cuts to Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic in recent years.

“This $10 million is a small win as we recognize that the university is still underfunded due to the $68.4 million in cuts,” says Feltham. “We know that we need to continue to invest in our future through education so students are not faced with a debt sentence for exercising their right to an education.”