Childcare Bursary

As a result of negotiations a number of years ago, the TSSU was able to secure the Child Care Bursary. The university is responsible for funding this bursary to the tune of $50,000 per year.  Any monies from the fund not spent in a year are carried forward.  In the last round of negotiations, the university initiated a change that would allow the "surplus "from the fund to be used to supplement our $40/semester tuition credit by $30.  This is why the expired tuition credit was $70 per semester, and not $40.

Administration of the fund has been handled by Financial Assistance which has established a "needs-based " assessment of who will receive assistance and how much.  While some of their criteria are still a mystery to me (and apparently to those who have been denied), I do know that the university only spent $41,705 out of $150,000 allotted for the fund between 2001-2003.  When one takes into account the fact that Financial Assistance denies an average of 84%of all those who apply, the reason for this surplus becomes obvious.  Even out of those people who fit the rest of the fund’s criteria, 65% are denied on the basis of lacking a "demonstrated financial need."

Think about the wages you receive from the university each semester.  Imagine raising two children on that (minus, of course, your tuition) as our current TSSU Treasurer does.  Even after you lose your provincial childcare subsidy due to Liberal cut-backs, you are still too wealthy to qualify for our Childcare Bursary!  For our Treasurer and all other single parents who have been denied this assistance over the last three years,  they could still look forward to an extra $30 per semester from this fund--but no more!