Higher education in Nova Scotia - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Introduction

Higher Education in Nova Scotia (also referred to as post-secondary education) refers to education provided by higher education

Higher education

Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...

institutions. In Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, education

Education

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

is the responsibility of the provinces and there is no Canadian federal ministry governing education. Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

has a population of less than one million people, but is home to eleven public universities and the Nova Scotia Community College, which offers programs at 13 locations.

Six of the 11 universities – the Atlantic School of Theology, Dalhousie University, Mount Saint Vincent University, the NSCAD University, Saint Mary's University, and the University of King's College – are located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, which is the capital of Nova Scotia and the largest urban area in the Atlantic Canada region. The oldest university in the province is the University of King's College, established in 1789, and the newest university is Cape Breton University, established in 1974. In 2010-2011, Nova Scotia had 36,458 full-time and 7,394 part-time students.

Several universities in Nova Scotia have strong religious connections. The University of King's College, first founded in Windsor, holds the distinction of being the first college with university powers in British North America, at a time when Upper Canada had no government of its own. It has always remained under the control of the Church of England. Dalhousie University, first known as Dalhousie College, was established in Halifax in 1820 with the help of the Presbyterian Church, and Acadia University was founded by Baptists. Catholics formed both Saint Mary's University and Saint Francis Xavier University.[53]

The following is a list of universities in Nova Scotia

1. University of King's College http://www.ukings.ca/ (est.1789)

2. Saint Mary's University http://www.smu.ca/ (est.1802)

3. Dalhousie University http://www.dal.ca/ (est.1818)

4. Acadia University http://www2.acadiau.ca/index.php (est.1838)

5. Saint Francis Xavier University http://www.stfx.ca/(est.1853)

6. Mount Saint Vincent University http://www.msvu.ca/en/home/default.aspx (est.1873)

7. Nova Scotia College of Art and Design(NSCAD)University http://nscad.ca/en/home/default.aspx (est.1887)

8. Université Sainte-Anne http://www.usainteanne.ca/ (est.1890)

9. Nova Scotia Agricultural College http://nsac.ca/ (est.1905)

10. Atlantic School of Theology http://www.smu.ca/academic/ast/ (est.1971)

11. Cape Breton University http://www.cbu.ca/ (est.1974)

Governance of the Higher Education System in Nova Scotia

The governing body for higher education in Nova Scotia is the Ministry of Labour and Advanced Education, of which Marilyn More

Marilyn More

Marilyn More is a Canadian politician. She serves as Nova Scotia's Minister of Education, Minister of Labour and Workforce Development, and Minister of Volunteerism in Darrell Dexter's Cabinet. As a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, she represents the constituency of Dartmouth...

is Minister of Labour and Advanced Education.

The mandate of the Department for Universities and Colleges of the Ministry of Labour and Advanced Education is as follows

develops and manages funding agreements between the province and the public post-secondary institutions
analyzes reports and publications to inform the Minister on policy issues
conducts Nova Scotia based higher education research through the Minister's Post-Secondary Education Research Advisory Panel
represents the province at a regional and national level regarding post-secondary education issues.

Institutional Governance

Universities are autonomous entities incorporated by legislative Acts. Canadian higher education institutions have a common bicameral model of institutional governance including a corporate Board of Governors responsible for the institution’s financial and administrative matters and a Senate with responsibilities for academic matters. The specific composition and authority of these two bodies are specified in the individual institutional Charters.

Kings College (1789)

In 1789, the University of King's College

University of King's College

The University of King's College is a post-secondary institution in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. King's is a small liberal arts university offering mainly undergraduate programs....

was founded by Anglican United Empire Loyalists

United Empire Loyalists

The name United Empire Loyalists is an honorific given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War and prior to the Treaty of Paris...

in Windsor, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

. It is Canada's first chartered university and the oldest English-speaking university in the Commonwealth

Commonwealth

Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...

outside of the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. At the outset, King's College discouraged non-Anglicans from attending with Protestant and Catholic colleges emerging as a result. The first universities were intended primarily to preserve British traditions against American republicanism. Secondly, they were to educate clergymen. King’s College would be granted its Royal Charter

Royal Charter

A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...

from King George III to grant degrees in 1802 and the first student graduated in 1807.The King’s College, however, did not have a long life span and crumbled as a result of the war which gained America her independence from Britain. This college was later re-instated as Columbia University.

In 1920 the college burned down, and its future was uncertain. The Carnegie Foundation of New York offered the College a grant on the condition that the new King’s College would be built in Halifax and would merge into a division of Dalhousie under the Arts and Sciences program. Additionally, the students and professors of both Universities would share campuses and work as a collaborative unit.

During the period of 1941-1945, this college undertook the task of training subjects for the Royal Canadian Navy, under, King George III, and the students were displaced to another facility in Halifax. This arrangement continued until 1971 when the King’s Faculty of Divinity merged with the ecumenical Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax. But, over the next year, two national Canadian programs emerged: In 1972 the Foundation Year Programme was introduced, and in 1978 the first School of Journalism to grant degrees on the Atlantic coast of Canada was established.

Saint Mary's University (1802)

Saint Mary’s University was the first English speaking Roman Catholic university to be established in Canada. It was founded in 1802 by the Reverend Edmund Burke. It was granted its license in 1806, although only Catholics were allowed to attend. On March 29, 1841, an act of the Legislature incorporated Saint Mary's which enabled degree-granting privileges for eleven years, and the act included a four-year annual grant of $1,622; then it received permanent power to confer degrees in 1852. Closed in 1880 due to lack of provincial funding, Saint Mary's would re-open in 1903, mainly due to the efforts of the Archbishop of Halifax, Archbishop Cornelius O'Brien. In 1913 the Irish Christian Brothers took over the running of Saint Mary's University. In 1940 a Jesuit leadership was established and in 1970 the institution went public.

Dalhousie University (1818)

Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...

was founded in 1818 by Lord Dalhousie, who modeled the university on the University of Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...

, although instruction would not actually begin until 1838. Unfortunately, 5 years later the university’s first principal died and the university would remain closed until 1863, when it opened with 6 professors and 1 tutor. The Dalhousie University Act(1963) includes a suggestion of denominational representation on the Board of Governors in proportion to support of endowed chairs. By relying on private contributions, Dalhousie managed to avoid most of the instability of government grants and bureaucratic infighting. Dalhousie University degrees were not awarded until 1866, and instruction did not commence until 1838. There were only 28 students who were in the degree program during this period and another 28 who were casual students. Further, there were only a handful of professors and 1 tutor. The school was consumed with financial difficulties. It wasn’t until 1879 that a wealthy New York publisher, whose ancestry was in Nova Scotia, made a hefty donations of over 8 million dollars, and saved the university.

During the 1900’s the school expanded and on April 1, 1997, it merged with the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) and added a Faculty of Computer Science. Despite the merger it retained its name.

Presently, Dalhousie continues to expand and construction crews can be observed on its Studley campus. Some of its recently built facilities include: Goldberg Computer Science Building (1999), the Marion McCain Arts and Social Science Building (2001), the Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building (2005), and the Mona Campbell Building (2010). It boasts 100,000 graduates, and its milestone was achieved 140 years after it granted its first two Bachelor of Arts degrees to Joseph Henry Chase and Robert Shaw in 1866. In 1885, it was the first university to award a degree to a woman, Margaret Florence Newcombe. In 1896 it was also the first university to award a degree to a black man, James Robinson Johnston.

Acadia University (1838)

After founding Horton Academy in the town of Wolfville, Nova Scotia in 1828, the same Baptist Education Society of Nova Scotia created Queen’s College in 1838. The first students began in 1839 and 1843 saw four graduates emerge. It would be renamed Acadia College

Acadia University

Acadia University is a predominantly undergraduate university located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada with some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level...

and receive its charter in 1841, finally becoming a full university in 1891.

St. Francis Xavier University (1853)

St Francis Xavier College was a Roman Catholic institution founded in 1853 in Arichat, Cape Breton, and moved to Antigonish in 1855. In 1866, it gained university status and was renamed St Francis Xavier University and awarded its first degrees in 1868. In 1883, its ladies' institution, Mount St Bernard Academy, was founded and in 1894, it was affiliated with St Francis as Mount St Bernard College becoming in 1897 the first co-educational Catholic university in North America to grant degrees to women.

The schools diversity was a founding feature because the school originated in a region in which a multitude of farmers, tradesman, and labourers immigrated from the British Isles and then inter-mingled with the native Indian and Acadian peoples who were already residents. As there were a number of people of the Scottish origin already established there, the Gaelic language played a prominent role in the university; this role continues today. Its principle goals are community outreach and society service. The 1930s therefore saw innovative initiatives by St. Francis Xavier University in the areas of adult education, cooperatives and credit unions given emphasis as paths “to social improvement and economic organization for disadvantaged groups in eastern Canada.” The Antigonish Movement

Antigonish Movement

The Antigonish Movement blended adult education, co-operatives, microfinance and rural community development to help small, resource-based communities around Canada’s Maritimes improve their economic and social circumstances. A group of priests and educators, including Father Jimmy Tompkins, Father...

gave momentum to these programs, which reached out to the community.

In 1959, the Coady International Institute was established, and the former principles were made global. It’s desire to promote social cohesion has become recognized through its students and successes. Although, many institutes of higher learning have evolved and changed the principles which they were founded on, St. Francis Xavier has held on to its core values over the years. While the university definitely aspires to evolve, it also wants to maintain the core principles with which it was established.

Mount Saint Vincent (1873)

Established by the Sisters of Charity in 1873, the Mount http://www.msvu.ca/en/home/aboutus/default.aspx was one of the only institutions of higher education for women in Canada. At a time when women could not vote, the Mount provided an opportunity for women to learn and participate equally in society. In 1925, the Nova Scotia legislature gave Mount Saint Vincent College

Mount Saint Vincent University

Mount Saint Vincent University is a university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was established in 1873 and is locally referred to as The Mount.-History:...

the right to grant degrees, making it the only independent women's college in the British Commonwealth.

The University of Halifax (1876-1881)

In 1876 the University Act was passed, stating that Dalhousie, King's, Mount Allison, Mount St. Vincent, and St. Mary's would be regarded as Colleges of the non-sectarian University of Halifax, and that each would confer their degrees in the name University of Halifax. It was meant to be an umbrella institution, like the University of London, England, wherein it would not offer instruction but would examine those who presented themselves for examination and conferred degrees if they were successful. The University of Halifax was never accepted by the other universities and it was abolished in 1881

Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (1887)

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...

's much publicized lecture tour in 1882 stopped in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he advocated the support of art education. Wilde’s advocacy was a precursor to the foundation of the Victoria School of Art in 1887, which would be renamed the Nova Scotia College of Art in 1925 upon receiving its Provincial charter. Anna Leonowens

Anna Leonowens

Anna Leonowens was an English travel writer, educator, and social activist. She worked in Siam from 1862 to 1868, where she taught the wives and children of Mongkut, king of Siam. She also co-founded the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design...

, better known for her work as the tutor or governess to the King of Siam as portrayed in the book and film Anna and the King of Siam

Anna and the King of Siam (book)

Anna and the King of Siam is a 1944 semi-fictionalized biographical novel by Margaret Landon.In the early 1860s, Anna Leonowens, a widow with two young children, was invited to Siam by King Mongkut , who wanted her to teach his children and wives the English language and introduce them to British...

, along with a committee of citizens worked to found the school to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. It would change its name again to the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) in 1969 and finally to NSCAD University

Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University

NSCAD University also known as the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, is a post-secondary art school located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada....

in 2003. NCSAD developed an international reputation with notable artists who lectured, taught, or collaborated alongside students and faculty including Joseph Beuys, Eric Fischl, Vito Acconci, Sol LeWitt, Michael Snow, Joyce Wieland, Hans Haacke, Claes Oldenburg, A.R. Penck, Krzysztof Wodiczko and John Baldessari.

Université Sainte-Anne (1890)

College Sainte-Anne was founded at Church Point

Church Point, Nova Scotia

Pointe-de-l'Église , is a village located on Saint Mary's Bay in the District of Clare, Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is home to Université Sainte-Anne and is known primarily for the tallest wooden church in North America, Église Sainte-Marie, which is located just north of the...

in 1890 by the Eudist

Eudists

The Congregation of Jesus and Mary , commonly referred to as the Eudists is a Society of Apostolic Life in the Roman Catholic Church.-History:...

fathers. This French language received its Charter in 1892 and begin granting degrees in 1903. Now Université Sainte-Anne

Université Sainte-Anne

Université Sainte-Anne is a francophone university located in the seaside town of Pointe-de-l'Église in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only French-language university in the province of Nova Scotia and is one of only two such universities in the Maritime Provinces, the other being the Université...

, it is Nova Scotia's only French language university.

Nova Scotia Agricultural College (1905)

At the School of Agriculture, which was established in Truro

Truro

Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...

, Nova Scotia in 1885, Professor H. Smith , was the first academic to conduct agricultural research in the Maritimes, funded by the government. In 1905, this school along with the Provincial Farm, established in 1889 at Bible Hill, and the School of Horticulture, established in 1894 at Wolfville, merged to form the Nova Scotia Agricultural College

Nova Scotia Agricultural College

Nova Scotia Agricultural College is a Canadian university college located in Bible Hill, Nova Scotia, a village near the town of Truro. NSAC was officially founded February 14, 1905. In the early years, NSAC focused on educating farmers in aspects of field and animal husbandry...

, which is now the third oldest center for agricultural education and research in Canada. The new college would work to prepare and educate new farmers in aspects of field and animal husbandry, with many graduates moving on to pursue a degrees from the likes of Macdonald College at McGill University

McGill University

Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...

or the Ontario Agricultural College

Ontario Agricultural College

The Ontario Agricultural College originated at the agricultural laboratories of the Toronto Normal School, and was officially founded in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto...

in Guelph

Guelph

Guelph is a city in Ontario, Canada.Guelph may also refer to:* Guelph , consisting of the City of Guelph, Ontario* Guelph , as the above* University of Guelph, in the same city...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

.

Additional federal funds for agricultural education in 1913 resulted in the creation and expansion of campus facilities at Nova Scotia Agricultural College to encourage new programs in Home Economics, Women's Institutes, rural science and youth training. Nova Scotia developed demonstration buildings to establish closer ties between the community and agricultural education, especially with the growing demand from governments for more food production during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

The Atlantic School of Theology
Atlantic School of Theology
The Atlantic School of Theology is a Canadian ecumenical university which provides "graduate level theological education and research, and in formation for Christian ministries, lay and ordained, in church and society, primarily in Atlantic Canada". It is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia and its...

(1971)

The Atlantic School of Theology

Atlantic School of Theology

The Atlantic School of Theology is a Canadian ecumenical university which provides "graduate level theological education and research, and in formation for Christian ministries, lay and ordained, in church and society, primarily in Atlantic Canada". It is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia and its...

is founded in 1971 through the co-operation of the Divinity Faculty of the University of King’s College (Anglican Church of Canada), Holy Heart Theological Seminary (The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Halifax) and Pine Hill Divinity Hall (United Church of Canada). It was granted degree-granting powers in 1974 when it was incorporated by an Act of the Legislature.

Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....

(1974)

Cape Breton University was founded as the first university college in 1974 on Cape Breton Island when the Nova Scotia Eastern Institute of Technology and Xavier Junior College merged. The new institution, then named University College of Cape Breton, became a public degree-granting institution, while retaining many of the technical and vocational programs from the former institute of technology.

The Nova Scotia Community College
Nova Scotia Community College
The Nova Scotia Community College, commonly referred to as the NSCC, is a community college serving the province of Nova Scotia.The college delivers a diverse program of trades, technology, health, human services, applied arts, new media, business administration and adult education through a system...

The Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) was formed in 1988 to focus on training and education, amalgamating the province's former vocational schools and removing duplicate programs. In 1996 the College was separated from the Department of Education and Culture when the Southwestern Nova Scotia Community Colleges Act was enacted and was governed by its own board. The NSCC has five academic schools: the School of Access; the School of Applied Arts and New Media; the School of Business; the School of Health and Human Services and the School of Trades and Technology.

1880s

In 1881, Nova Scotia 'abandoned the public support of universities and colleges'. In 1882, the Bank of Nova Scotia Scotiabank

Scotiabank

The Bank of Nova Scotia , commonly known as Scotiabank , is the third largest bank in Canada by deposits and market capitalization. It serves some 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world and offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial,...

opened a branch in Winnipeg, Manitoba and then expanded its operations in the American Midwest Scotiabank

Scotiabank

. The loans available for the region reduced and the region lagged behind in industrialization. The provincial government focused its efforts on agriculture and post-secondary education continued to be deprived of provincial funding.

1900-1950s

In 1911, Canadian universities came together to plan for the the Congress of Empire Universities to be held in 1912. In 1917, this group of Canadian universities was formally known as the National Conference of Canadian Universities (NCCU) The NCCU 'successfully lobbied the Federal Government to financially support higher education' and with the mass entry of post-World War II veterans, federal funding for higher education was secured in the late 1950s. The Federal Government decided on a policy to pay the provinces per student in higher education in each province. Nova Scotia had a smaller population than other provinces but had a large number of out-of-province and international students who did not remain in the province after graduation. The large number of universities meant that funding was very thinly distributed across the universities.

1960s

In the 1960s, the Federal Government put the responsibility of post secondary education back to the provinces. It agreed to grant up to half of the operating expenses of post secondary institutions in each province and provided special funding for research and special projects. Provincial governments had to provide the rest of the funding.

1970-1980s

In the 1970s, the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) http://www.mphec.ca/index.aspx was established to act as one University Grants Commission for the Atlantic provincesAtlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...

. It allocated funds received from the Federal Government to each Atlantic province. Nova Scotia universities continued to lobby for an increase in capital funds and following the report of the Royal Commission on Post-Secondary Education in 1986, the Nova Scotia Council on Higher Education (NSCHE) was established, [ftp://ftp.ednet.ns.ca/pub/educ/nsche/nsche.pdf] representing the interests of Nova Scotia on the MPHEC. In 1989, it became a legal entity under the Ministry of Advanced Education and Job Training.

1990s

In 1995, the Nova Scotia Council on Higher Education (NSCHE) began a process to review and recommend a new Funding Formula for Nova Scotia's universities. This process attempted to acknowledge considerable changes in enrollment and new programs at several universities, and the new formula was approved by government for fiscal 1998-99. The new Funding Formula has two major components: Unrestricted operating grants (96%) and Restricted operating grants (4%). The Unrestricted operating grants are broken down into three components: the Weighted Enrolment Grant (WEG); the Research Grant and the Extra Formula Grants. The WEG accounts for approximately 91% of the total operating funding provided to universities. Extra Formula Grants take into consideration unique characteristics such as size; French-language instruction; part-time students; isolation (distance from Halifax). The Memorandum of Understanding between the government and the universities were negotiated for 2004-08 and from 2008-2011 based on this funding model.

2000-2010

Enrollment of undergraduate students in Nova Scotia universities is noteworthy as it impacts the funding formula. Nova Scotia has a disproportionate number of out of province students, more than any other province in the country. The calculation that is based on a per-capita basis does not include out-of-province students, thereby bringing no provincial support from their home province. In 2003, university funding provided by the provincial government was $205 million, which was lower than the transfer of $211 million provided in 1992. Government grants covered only 41.9% of operating costs in 2001-02, the lowest proportion of any Canadian province.

Tuition

Tuition at Nova Scotian post secondary institutions is set by the individual institutions, in consultation with government. Since 2006, the provincial government has taken measures to bring tuition rates down to the average tuition fees levels in the country. In the six years of the last two MOUs, Nova Scotia went from having the highest average student tuition to being $8 below the national average for Nova Scotian students in Nova Scotian universities:

2006-2007: Federal Infrastructure Trust Fund money was directed to a one-time reduction in tuition for Nova Scotia students studying in Nova Scotia.
2007-2008: One-time $500 tuition reduction for Nova Scotia students; an amendment in the MOU froze tuition in
the third year.
2008-2009: Second MOU continued the tuition freeze and introduced a $761 bursary for Nova Scotia students in
Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia University Student Bursary Trust).
2009-2010: Tuition frozen and the bursary for Nova Scotia students at Nova Scotia universities rose to $1,022.
2010-2011: Tuition frozen and the bursary for Nova Scotia students at Nova Scotia universities rose to $1,283. For the first time, out of province Canadian students at Nova Scotia universities received a $261 bursary.

Student Assistance and Debt

Between 1990 and 2008, the average student debt in Nova Scotia, at the time of repayment, increased from $7,660 to $24,387 (+218%). In constant dollars there was an increase of 119 per cent (from $7,660 to $16,749). A spike in debt after 1992 followed the elimination of the Nova Scotia Bursary Program, which provided the full Nova Scotia student loan portion as a non-repayable bursary. From 1992 on, all student assistance was repayable loans. Eliminating the bursary program and rising tuition left students in Nova Scotia with the highest
debt levels in the country.

In 2008, there was a slight decrease in debt as a result of Nova Scotia’s tuition reduction measures. Nova Scotia began lending directly to students, reducing the interest rate by two percentage points. A 20 per cent non-repayable grant was introduced, along with a grant for students with dependents. A repayment assistance program and a payment deferral program were introduced.

Funding, tuition and student debt in 2011

Following an extensive review of the university system in Nova Scotia, at the end of a third MoU with the universities in Nova Scotia, the provincial government announced in 2011 that it will lift the freeze on tuition fee increases but will cap the increase to 3%. Grants to universities will decrease four percent in 2011-12 and decreases for future years will be negotiated separately.

Nova Scotia’s current student assistance program still leaves students with significant unmet need and the
second-highest level of repayable loans in the country.

Research funding

The Atlantic Innovation Fund

Atlantic Innovation Fund

The Atlantic Innovation Fund is a financing program run by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency to help Canadian organizations in Atlantic Canada to develop innovative products and services. This program is highly-competitive...

was launched in 2001 to provide an additional $300 million for investment in the region's infrastructure. It was expected that a large proportion of the funds aimed at research and development

Research and development

The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...

would go towards the province's universities. The higher education sector in Nova Scotia represents 60% of the R&D conducted in the province, a contribution which is twice the national average.

Access

Participation in post-secondary education in the Maritimes

Maritimes

The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...

in general is higher than the national average, with participation rates in Nova Scotia in particular of 35-40% compared to 20-26% for Canada as a whole. Demand for skilled labour has prompted an increase in participation rates from the nation's post-secondary institutions. However, the number of 18-24 year olds in Nova Scotia and the rest of the Maritime provinces are predicted to decline greater than the rest of Canada. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of 18-24 year olds dropped 13% in the Maritimes while in the rest of Canada, it dropped less than 1%.

National enrollment

From 2000 to 2006, over 32,000 full-time and part-time students were enrolled in Nova Scotia's 11 universities. In 2006-07, 61% of Nova Scotians aged 25–54 had a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree. This is on par with the national average for Canadians with post-secondary credentials. Over a five-year period, the number of credentials issued by Nova Scotia’s institutions increased by 9.4%. Nova Scotians make up two thirds of those enrolled in the province's institutions and of the Maritime provinces, participation in university education is greatest among Nova Scotia residents. The majority of out of province students come from Ontario. In fact, the peak of undergraduate enrolment in the Maritimes was in 2003, attributable to changes in Ontario, where the graduating class doubled in the province upon the elimination of its grade 13 year of high school.

First Nations

Nova Scotia’s universities, through the Atlantic Association of Universities, have developed working relationships with leaders of the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nation Chiefs to better understand critical issues concerning access for and increased graduation of Aboriginal learners. For example, Sydney's Membertou First Nation and the Nova Scotia Community College signed a memorandum of understanding in 2004 that focuses on three key components: customized training programs relevant to Membertou’s employment opportunities, high school transition support programs and information technology initiatives. Since 1996, the Council on Mi'kmaq Education (CME) has worked to provide guidance and advice to Nova Scotia’s Minister of Education on programs development and funding for the Mi'kmaq people of the province. Similarly, the Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey serves various Mi'kmaw communities in the province. The Mi'kmaq Liaison Office (MLO) works as a liaison between the Department of Education and the aboriginal community of Nova Scotia.

Women

In largely urban areas such as Halifax

City of Halifax

Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...

, participation of female students has increased steadily over the last twenty years. Conversely, the proportion of full-time male students have declined by 9% in the Maritimes. Women who complete a university degree earn 50% more than female high school graduates. Those between the age of 20–34 years old in metro or rural areas are only marginally different in their completion rates for high school. However, when compared to women who have completed post-secondary studies, the gap widens, particularly in University certificate, diploma or degree programs. Women in metro areas average 34.8% completion to 15.9% in rural areas.

Rural and urban participation

Urban and rural students have relatively equal access to universities in the province due to the good number and well distributed campuses throughout the province. There are financial implications for rural students resulting in graduates borrowing nearly $5,000 or 24% more than those from urban areas. Nearly 24% of urban residents held a university degree, compared to 9-12% of rural residents in Canada overall.

Students with disabilities

The number of students with a disability that have graduated from post secondary institutions in the province has grown 45%, from 2003 to 2006. This is due to the increasing number of students accessing an increasing number of services and resources offered by government and the institutions they attend. The Post Secondary Disability Services is a web-based resource that outlines grants, services and contacts for post-secondary students with disabilities. Government grants are available including the Canada Study Grant for Accommodation for Students with Permanent Disabilities and the Canada Access Grant and for Students with Permanent Disabilities.

International students

Nova Scotia and its 11 universities attract students from around the world. In 2004-2005, there were 3,594 full-time international students attending Nova Scotia universities and community colleges. This accounts for 11% of total students enrolled in Nova Scotia undergraduate programs, above the 7% national average. Universities set their own tuition fees for international students and there are ceilings for the number of students receiving grants in Nova Scotia with only 10% of undergraduate and 30% of graduate students receiving them.

Financial accessibility

University tuition fees in Nova Scotia are among the highest in the country. This is in large part due to low government grants to fund university operating costs. This underfunding, the lowest in the country, has caused tuition in the province to double over the past decade. As a result, fees in Nova Scotia far surpass the median income or saving potential of its population. Other shortages make the province inaccessible to students, such as the elimination of the loan remission program in 2000. It is the only province without a non-repayable student financial assistance program.

Transferability

The Atlantic Provinces Community College Consortium (APCCC) is an inter-provincial organization which gathers and disseminates resources to improve college-level postsecondary education in the Atlantic provinces. An important aspect of the APCCC is to provide maximum mobility for students learning throughout the postsecondary education system in Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada

. It is composed of four college systems; Nova Scotia Community College

Nova Scotia Community College

The Nova Scotia Community College, commonly referred to as the NSCC, is a community college serving the province of Nova Scotia.The college delivers a diverse program of trades, technology, health, human services, applied arts, new media, business administration and adult education through a system...

, the College of the North Atlantic

College of the North Atlantic

College of the North Atlantic is the public college of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The enabling legislation is theCollege Act....

in Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...

, Holland College

Holland College

Holland College is the provincial community college for the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island. It is named after British Army engineer and surveyor Captain Samuel Holland...

in Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

, and New Brunswick Community College

New Brunswick Community College

The New Brunswick Community College is a community college. The enabling legislation is the New Brunswick Community Colleges Act ..-Campus:There are campuses in:#Miramichi,#Moncton,#Saint John,#St...

. The APCCC produced a “Guide to Block Transfer Agreements” in 2006. These ‘blocks’ usually refer to a semester, year, diploma or certificate transferred from a college to a university. The Guide includes approximately 250 potential credit transfer arrangements. Students can choose from several course delivery mechanisms, including distance e-learning.

Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU)

Established in 1964, the Association of Atlantic Universities is a voluntary association of the 17 universities in the Atlantic region and in the West Indies which offer programmes leading to a degree or have degree-granting status. One of the fundamental roles of the association is to create greater awareness and understanding of the important contribution of universities to the social and economic development of the Atlantic Provinces. The Association's business is conducted by the AAU Council, which consists of the executive heads of all the member institutions. The AAU currently meets two times a year and is served by a permanent secretariat. The activities of the Association are funded principally through annual membership fees based on the operating income of the member institutions.

The Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents (CONSUP), founded in 1982, is an informal body consisting of the presidents of the 11 degree-granting institutions in the province. CONSUP members meet on a regular basis to deal with matters of common concern, and also meet on occasion with the appropriate minister and/or the premier. The secretariat of the Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU) serves as the secretariat for CONSUP. The members of CONSUP are also members of the Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU).

Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training (CAMET)

The Atlantic ministers responsible for education and training signed an agreement in April 2004 under which the provinces of New Brunswick

New Brunswick

New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...

, Newfoundland and Labrador

Newfoundland and Labrador

, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

, and Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...

agreed to collaborate on joint undertakings to respond to the needs identified in public and post-secondary education. CAMET is dedicated to further enhancing the level of cooperation in public and post-secondary education by working on common issues to improve learning for all Atlantic Canadians, optimize efficiencies and bring added value to provincial initiatives and priorities.

Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC)

The MPHEC was created in 1974 to assist Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and their institutions in attaining a more efficient and effective utilization and allocation of higher education resources. It provides quality assurance, data and information sharing, cooperative action, and regional programmes as well as specific services to one or more provinces or institutions as agreed to by the Ministers of Education.

Introduction

Governance of the Higher Education System in Nova Scotia

Institutional Governance

Kings College (1789)

Saint Mary's University (1802)

Dalhousie University (1818)

Acadia University (1838)

St. Francis Xavier University (1853)

Mount Saint Vincent (1873)

The University of Halifax (1876-1881)

Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (1887)

Université Sainte-Anne (1890)

Nova Scotia Agricultural College (1905)

Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....

(1974)

1880s

1900-1950s

1960s

1970-1980s

1990s

2000-2010

Tuition

Student Assistance and Debt

Funding, tuition and student debt in 2011

Research funding

Access

National enrollment

First Nations

Women

Rural and urban participation

Students with disabilities

International students

Financial accessibility

Transferability

Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU)

Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training (CAMET)

Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC)

See also

Further reading

Introduction

Governance of the Higher Education System in Nova Scotia

Institutional Governance

Kings College (1789)

Saint Mary's University (1802)

Dalhousie University (1818)

Acadia University (1838)

St. Francis Xavier University (1853)

Mount Saint Vincent (1873)

The University of Halifax (1876-1881)

Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (1887)

Université Sainte-Anne (1890)

Nova Scotia Agricultural College (1905)

Cape Breton UniversityCape Breton UniversityCape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....(1974)

1880s

1900-1950s

1960s

1970-1980s

1990s

2000-2010

Tuition

Student Assistance and Debt

Funding, tuition and student debt in 2011

Research funding

Access

National enrollment

First Nations

Women

Rural and urban participation

Students with disabilities

International students

Financial accessibility

Transferability

Association of Atlantic Universities (AAU)

Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training (CAMET)

Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC)

See also

Further reading

Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University
Cape Breton University , formerly the "University College of Cape Breton" , is a Canadian university in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....

(1974)