A poll released this month by CAUT strongly suggests Canadians are worried that rising tuition fees are preventing qualified high school graduates from getting a university or college education.
The poll reports that more than seven out of 10 Canadians either agree or strongly agree that the rising cost of a post-secondary education is creating an insurmountable financial barrier for many young people.
CAUT president Victor Catano said the survey highlights growing public concerns about the accessibility of Canada's colleges and universities.
"I believe the concerns we're seeing expressed in the survey clearly reflect the real experiences of many Canadian families who are struggling to save and pay for their children's education," Catano said. "This is an issue that politicians are going to have to recognize more and more."
The latest Decima Research survey results, from a poll conducted March 13-23, indicate that while 70 per cent of Canadians believe post-secondary education is more important than ever, 67 per cent also believe it is more difficult for young families today to pay for their children's university or college education.
Twenty-eight per cent of Canadians surveyed blame the federal government for the rapid tuition increases of the past 10 years, while 27 per cent point the finger at university and college administrators. About one in five said their provincial government is most responsible for the fee hikes.
Health care dominates Canadians' list of concerns, with nearly 80 per cent of respondents saying the federal government should make it a high priority over the next five years. Preserving the environment and improving the accessibility and the quality of post-secondary education were identified as the second and third most important priorities for Ottawa.
Fewer Canadians chose tax cuts, debt reduction, the war on terrorism or free trade negotiations as high priorities.
"Overall, Canadians feel that governments should be focussing on broadly defined social issues like health care, the environment, education and poverty," Catano said. "There's less support for putting a high priority on fiscal or security issues."
Decima Research also asked Canadians how the federal government could ensure that all qualified students were free to pursue a post-secondary education.
Thirty-one per cent said Ottawa should increase funding for universities and colleges, and 28 per cent said the federal government should provide grants to needy students. There was less support for increasing student loan limits (12.5 per cent), offering students more tax breaks (10 per cent), or providing scholarships based on merit (10 per cent).
"What's interesting is that the policy options least favoured by the public are precisely the ones that the federal government has pursued most aggressively in recent years," Catano remarked.
The Decima poll results are based on a telephone survey of 2,000 adults across the country and are considered accurate within ±2 per cent, 19 times out of 20.