What kind of province are we building if we don’t prioritize the future?
In the leadup to the imminent provincial election, students across Newfoundland and Labrador are launching a campaign called Bring Back the Freeze.
Our message is simple: if you care about the future of this province, don’t vote for candidates who refuse to stand up for students.
Don’t vote for those who turn their backs on public education.
Why? Because the last four years have shown us exactly what happens when education is neglected. Tuition at Memorial and CNA has skyrocketed – and since the 2022 increases, we’ve seen the sharpest drops in student enrollment in decades.
At Memorial, undergraduate enrollment has now dropped below 13,000 students for the first time since 1983 — a direct consequence of these short-sighted tuition hikes and funding cuts.
In the very first year of the tuition increases, first-year enrolment dropped by over 19%, and the campus food bank shut down due to overwhelming demand — a stark reminder of how financial pressure is affecting not just education, but contributing to the cost-of-living crisis faced by students.
Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the lowest rates of educational attainment in the country—making meaningful investment in post-secondary education not just important, but essential.
Only 16.6% of adults in the province hold a university degree, the lowest rate among all provinces. NL also has the highest proportion of adults without a high school diploma, and persistent gender gaps continue to disadvantage both men and women compared to the national average.
The divide is even more stark in rural communities, where just 1.8% of residents have a degree, compared to 17.4% in urban areas. These aren’t just statistics—they’re a reflection of deep, systemic inequities that are limiting workforce development, driving young people away, and holding back economic growth.
Unlike other provinces with multiple universities and college networks, Newfoundland and Labrador relies heavily on just two public institutions—Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic. That’s why the affordability, accessibility, and long-term sustainability of these institutions are not optional—they’re vital to the province’s future.
Provincial politicians, over the last ten years, have slowly backed away from previous promises of accessible education and have instead begun the process of defunding our institutions and increasing tuition fees.
It’s not the administration who bears the cost of these cuts — it’s the students. Students who are already struggling to make ends meet, now facing program cancellations and cuts to the few support services they have left.
Students who walk through campuses where the buildings are literally falling apart. Students who are left wondering what kind of institution their education will be tied to in ten years — and what this province will lose if the economic and social benefits of CNA and MUN are allowed to erode any further.
We put six clear demands to every candidate running in this election:
1. Roll back tuition to pre-2022 levels and freeze it there.
2. Use the Tuition Offset Grant to reduce costs for students.
3. Eliminate differential fees for international students.
4. Increase operational funding to MUN and CNA.
5. Fund paid placements for nursing, social work, education, and pharmacy students.
6. Expand student aid eligibility to international students.
If we can’t meet these standards, then we’re not valuing education, students, or the future of our province.
Over the next few weeks, as candidates share their commitments, we’ll be posting them on our brand-new website: BringBackTheFreeze.ca.
The website will have information on our platform, background on the impacts of recent changes to post-secondary education, and additional ways to get involved.
Everyone in this province — everyone who relies on a strong economy, a skilled workforce, and a vibrant future — depends on the health and success of our university and college.
That’s why we’re offering a new vision for Newfoundland and Labrador. A vision where education isn’t treated as a cost, but as the foundation of our future.
A province where young people don’t feel they have to leave to build a life, but can see themselves staying, thriving, and contributing.
A province that’s growing, not shrinking. One that proudly leads the country once again in accessible, affordable post-secondary education. As a young person in this province, I want to believe in that future.
Before you cast your vote in October, check BringBackTheFreeze.ca. See where the parties stand. Email your candidates and ask them questions. And if they won’t support students, don’t give them your vote.
We know that the tuition freeze works for Newfoundland and Labrador. Students can’t wait, and our province can’t wait. It’s time to Bring Back the Freeze.