Good afternoon UNB,
Students across the province are extremely disappointed in the decision to immediately terminate the NB-EI Connect program. Students are left with very little time to secure the alternative financial resources required of them in order to afford their education. Inflation is the highest it has been in over 30 years, affordable housing is extremely difficult to find, and the financial resources many students relied upon have been cut from under them.
However, this is not 'just' a financial issue. The added stress of securing alternative financial resources will exacerbate the effects of an existing mental health crisis on our campus. Without a plan to increase funding for mental health services in the province, students are once again left hurting.
Rest assured, the UNB Student Union has been raising your concerns with the government and will continue to do so until a resolution is found! Our first public step happened on June 27, where the UNBSU, in collaboration with FÉÉCUM, co-signed an open letter to the Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labour, Trevor Holder, regarding this cancellation. Linked is a copy of said letter, in both French and English.
In our open letter, we called on Minister Holder to meet with student leaders where we can discuss this issue and identify potential solutions. Minister Holder has responded, and a meeting is being scheduled.
What we need from you: please, fill out this anonymous form speaking to your experience! We have received over 40 responses so far, and the more perspectives and voices we can bring to the table, the stronger advocacy we can have during this meeting!
We have also shared the letter and feedback form on Facebook; and would love it if you could share the links to help us spread the word!
As we progress through this process, we will be updating students along the way! Please stay tuned for more information over the coming weeks!
Sincerely,
Your 2022-2023 UNB Student Union Executive