Surrounded by students at Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador NDP Leader Jim Dinn – joined by Mount Scio NDP candidate Laurabel Mba and Waterford Valley NDP candidate Nicole Boland – continued the party’s focus on lowering costs and securing a better deal for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians by announcing a generational investment to reverse the Liberal tuition hike from 2022, saving students and families thousands of dollars each year.
“This generational investment is about securing the future of our province,” said Dinn. “It’s not just about making education more affordable – it’s about keeping young people here, keeping costs low for our families, and ensuring our economy is skilled up to meet the challenges of today and the opportunities of tomorrow.”
“Whether it’s healthcare graduates or our world-leading marine institute, we want our young people studying and seeing a real viable future here in the province. That’s how we get a better deal for Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Memorial University of Newfoundland, with more than 17,000 students, is one of the province’s most important public institutions. It has long served as a driver of innovation and economic growth, while giving local students access to some of the best education in the country.
The Liberal government’s decision in 2022 to cut the tuition-offset grant has had disastrous effects, with tuition for Newfoundland and Labrador students doubling, causing many to leave the province and seek their education elsewhere. Since 2021, enrollment has cratered as local students struggle with rising costs.
“The entire reason I came to this province was because of Memorial University,” said Mba. “I moved here because MUN offered a high-quality education at an affordable price. That isn’t just my story; it’s the story of so many wonderful people who now call Newfoundland and Labrador home. By reversing the Liberal tuition hike, we can once again make this province a place of promise and opportunity.”
“When I did my bachelor’s at Memorial, tuition was affordable. By the time I finished my Master of Social Work, it had almost doubled. And I felt that impact – just like so many other students and families in this province,” said Boland. “This investment is about changing that.
It’s about rebuilding opportunity, easing the pressure on families, and giving young people a reason to see their future right here at home.”
Dinn’s plan is to reverse the Liberal tuition hike and bring tuition back to pre-2022 rates. The investment – costing $49M in year one – is part of Dinn and the NL NDP’s focus to lower costs for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and is part of the NL NDP’s fully costed platform, to be released early in the campaign.
Dinn has also announced cutting the HST off of power bills and kids’ essentials, investigating high power bills, and expanding access to $10/day childcare as part of his plan to save families more money.