Select Committee on Finance for the 2026 BC Budget – CCFA Written Submission

Due to bargaining this year, it wasn’t possible for me to attend the in-person session of the BC Budget Consultations, as I’ve done for the past four years. So this year, the CCFA provided a written submission. The format is restricted to just three topics and a limited number of words to explain each recommendation. These submissions become part of the government of BC’s public records. Our recommendations consistently focus on students and promote community well-being. We are not making specific recommendations for our College’s funding; we are making general recommendations for the entire BC Budget.

Building Economic Resilience in British Columbia Through Public Investment in Education, Housing, and Debt-Free Learning

Introduction: BC Needs Structural Resilience, Not Market Fragility

With U.S. tariffs returning and global instability rising, BC must build a more resilient, locally anchored economy. Our reliance on volatile markets, such as international tuition, has left public services, especially post-secondary education, exposed. At Camosun College, funding cuts tied to federal visa caps have hurt students, faculty, and staff. We need bold public investment in education, housing, and student debt relief to protect BC’s future. These actions will enhance economic stability, support local communities, and mitigate our vulnerability to global shocks like tariff wars.

Recommendation 1 (300 characters max)

Increase public funding for post-secondary education to rebuild stability and replacing international tuition revenue with secure operating grants; tie funding to training priorities aligned with health, early childhood education, skilled trades, clean tech, Indigenous governance, and infrastructure.

Recommendation 1 Explanation (2000 characters max)

Education is the foundation of a resilient economy, but BC’s public post-secondary institutions, especially colleges and regional universities, are increasingly forced to rely on unstable revenue sources. At Camosun College, international tuition has filled the gap left by stagnant provincial operating grants. This fragile funding model collapsed in early 2024 when the federal government introduced a cap on international study permits. The impact was immediate: enrolment dropped, course offerings were cancelled, and faculty were laid off. The consequences have rippled through classrooms, departments, and the broader community.

Overreliance on international tuition was not a strategic choice; it was a survival tactic in response to provincial disinvestment. Public education institutions were pushed to behave like market-driven enterprises, chasing global enrolment trends instead of building sustainable local capacity. The result is a post-secondary sector exposed to geopolitical disruptions and global volatility.

Research confirms that public education is one of the best economic investments a government can make. Every additional year of schooling boosts individual earnings, lowers unemployment, and increases tax revenue. A well-funded post-secondary system is also key to workforce development in areas BC must grow to weather trade disruptions: renewable energy, health care, early childhood education, and clean manufacturing.

BC cannot build a resilient economy while funding its colleges like speculative ventures. In the face of U.S. tariffs and rising global uncertainty, we must develop homegrown skills and talent. That starts with guaranteed, stable, public investment in post-secondary education. Domestic enrolment needs to be prioritized to support provincial economic sovereignty and prepare for future disruptions. We must reinvest in public education, which is the backbone of our workforce, our economy, and our communities.

Recommendation 2 (300 characters max)

Create more publicly owned, affordable housing for students and workers near campuses. Partner with colleges to build income-tested units and ensure long-term affordability through co-op or public ownership. Housing is essential to education, job access, and a resilient local economy.

Recommendation 2 Explanation (2000 characters max)

BC’s economy depends on people, but people need homes. Students, support staff, and frontline workers across the province are struggling to find safe, affordable housing. At Camosun College, students report couch-surfing, commuting from hours away, or delaying their education altogether due to housing costs. Many leave programs unfinished, not because of academic challenges, but because they simply cannot afford to stay housed while studying. Workers, including instructional faculty and support staff, also leave the region or turn down job offers because they cannot afford to live near campus.

Without stable housing, people cannot study, work, or contribute to the local economy. This affects not only education, but health care, trades, tourism, and the broader labour market. As inflation and international instability increase, British Columbia must find ways to keep people rooted in communities without relying on wage suppression. Reducing housing costs is the ethical and effective way to support a resilient workforce and an inclusive education system.

Research from CCPA–BC shows that public investment in non-market housing, such as student residences, co-ops, and social housing, is the most efficient way to stabilize both household budgets and regional economies. These models shield residents from speculation and financialization, helping to insulate the province from interest rate volatility and global housing shocks. Countries with robust public housing systems weathered past recessions more successfully, precisely because their workers and students could remain housed, even in crisis.

As BC faces renewed economic pressures from U.S. tariffs and global slowdowns, internal demand and workforce retention will become even more vital. Public housing will play a central role in ensuring people can live, learn, and work in the same communities.

Recommendation 3 (300 characters max)

Eliminate provincial student loan debt and create a grant-based system. Prioritize access for low income, rural, and Indigenous students. Debt-free education supports local job retention, economic mobility, and equity across British Columbia.

Recommendation 3 Explanation (2000 characters max)

Many students in British Columbia graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in debt. These financial burdens delay home ownership, discourage work in lower-paid public service jobs, and prompt graduates to move to urban areas where wages are higher but living costs are also exceptionally high. Debt makes it harder to attract and retain skilled workers in fields such as education, early childhood care, and healthcare, particularly in rural and northern regions. It also prevents students from returning to their home communities or contributing to underserved areas.

Student debt is not just a personal hardship; it is a systemic drag on BC’s economy. Debt reduces consumer spending, limits small business creation, and increases financial stress. Intergenerational inequality worsens when students from low-income families or rural backgrounds take on more debt and have fewer resources to manage it. This weakens social mobility and damages workforce equity.

With growing economic instability, trade tensions, and inflation, BC must act now to keep young people engaged in the provincial economy. Research from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and other experts shows that cancelling student debt boosts economic activity more effectively than tax cuts. Graduates without loan burdens are more likely to start families, open businesses, and remain in communities with pressing labour needs. Newfoundland’s transition away from loans to grants offers a clear example of a prosperous and equitable policy shift. BC deserves the same.

The time has come to treat debt-free education not as a luxury, but as a public good. Just as highways and hospitals are maintained for the benefit of all, so too should access to education be secured without debt. Doing so would expand economic participation, especially among Indigenous students, rural learners, and first-generation college attendees. Student debt relief is not only fair, it is a strategic investment in BC’s future.