Education is a right. Everyone should be able to access post secondary education and skills training barrier free, without the barrier of cost or student debt. This means the elimination of all tuition fees and the introduction of grants covering the other costs of education such as housing, food, textbooks, and transportation. We believe that education is a public good that should not be tailored to private interests.

Students who have accessed financial support graduate with high amounts of debt and pay more for the same education. In July 2020, the total amount of student loans owed to the government surpassed $22.3 billion, the legislated ceiling set by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act. Even with free education, students still face the rising cost of living. Students need more accessible grants and all loans should be converted into non-repayable grants.

Everyone must be given an equal opportunity to access post-secondary education and training. Post-secondary education is increasingly out of reach for those who cannot afford the upfront cost of tuition fees or unfairly take on massive amounts of student debt. This looks like supporting students with disabilities, honoring Indigenous learners Right to Education, and fairness for international students. Universal post secondary education is a pathway towards liberation.

In addition to free post-secondary education, students with disabilities deserve the right to accessible campuses. Free education coupled with the right support ensures that students with disabilities have barrier free access to post-secondary education. Post-secondary institutions must provide the appropriate exam accommodations, assistive technologies and support services to allow students with disabilities to fully engage with studies.

Post-secondary education is a right of Indigenous people. This right was guaranteed in several foundational nation-to-nation treaties. Honoring Indigenous Learners Right to Education means ensuring all Indigenous learners are able to pursue post-secondary education without cost. Honoring Indigenous learners' right to education also means dedicating more funding towards programs and institutions that teach and preserve Indigenous languages, culture, and history to Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners at post-secondary institutions across Canada.

The elimination of tuition will improve graduate students’ access to post-secondary education. It is imperative that the government fund graduate research and challenge an increasingly commercialized and restrictive research environment. The vast majority of federally funded graduate and postdoctoral scholarships amount to less than minimum wage. The value of graduate awards has remained largely unchanged for 20 years, and postdoctoral fellowships increased by only $5,000 in the same time period. In addition to increasing funding for graduate students, boosting the Canada Students Grant program and expanding eligibility to include graduate students will increase graduate student access to education. Finally, the creation of more dedicated research fellowships for Indigenous and international students is necessary to ensure that the Canadian research environment is representative of all students.