A new report prepared by Advanced Education Minister Warren McCall says the Saskatchewan government should cut undergraduate tuition fees by $1,000 and extend a tuition freeze to make post-secondary education more accessible at the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina.

The proposals are among 51 recommendations in the long-awaited review of the province’s post-secondary system.

In his letter of submission to Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert, McCall said Saskatchewan leads the nation in per capita investment in post-secondary education.

That is a “strong base for a system that can be even stronger,” wrote McCall.“I believe my recommendations will significantly improve the delivery of post-secondary education while strengthening the reputation for excellence that our institutions have earned.”

Top priorities emphasized in the report include:

• Freezing tuition overall, with a $1,000 reduction in undergraduate studies tuition
• Expanding training opportunities through specialized centres, distance learning and with mobile
training labs
• Establishment of a “matched” scholarship fund, teaming government resources with private
donations to institution endowment funds
• Early intervention, in co-operation with school divisions, of at-risk grades 9 – 11 students, with
incentives to encourage participation in post-secondary education
• Seamless credit transfers to ease student mobility
• Increasing loan limits, while connecting students to work through workplace-based work-study
opportunities.

The review report is available online at
www.aee.gov.sk.ca/aar/.