The BC government is expanding the current tuition waiver program to all 25 public post secondary institutions.
The program-previously only available at 11 post-secondary institutions allows youth in care, ages 19 to 26, to receive free education with the hopes of thriving instead of surviving.
Premier John Horgan says everyone should be given a chance at higher learning.
“I personally can’t think of a better way to start September than to announce that there will no longer be tuition cost for those kids who have had the roughest of goes, and we want to have the brightest of futures.”
Horgan adds it’s a government priority to have the backs of struggling youth.
“I can firmly tell you that my adult children didn’t just say, ‘Thanks for everything, Dad! We’ll see you later’ at 19. They contact me regularly; I’m there to help them with what wisdom I can muster, and I believe that’s the role of the parents when it comes to children in care.”
The cost of waiving tuition will be covered by the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training for the remainder of fiscal 2017-18.
Any eligible student who already has paid fees for September enrolment will be refunded.
Students accessing the program must be:
- from British Columbia
- aged between 19 to 26 years
- have been in care for a minimum of 24 months.
(Files from Kyle Balzer with MYPRINCEGEORGENOW)