PROVINCE ANNOUNCES $8.9 MILLION THIS YEAR TO KEEP TUITION AFFORDABLE FOR FAMILIES

Premier Roy Romanow and Minister of Post-Secondary Education and

Skills Training Maynard Sonntag announced today that $8.9 million will

be reinvested this year by the province for the benefit of students.

The key goal is to keep tuition fees affordable for families and

students.



The result should be a dramatic reduction in proposed tuition

increases, discussed in recent weeks.



"Our government has been listening carefully to parents and students.

They've told us they're concerned about accessibility to universities,

and want us to work with our post-secondary institutions to hold the

line on tuition fees," Premier Romanow said.



"The Government of Saskatchewan is proposing today that the University

of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina hold tuition fee

increases to no more than two per cent this year. In a perfect world,

the Boards of Governors of the two universities will now be able to

approve budgets with no tuition increases at all," Romanow said.



Saskatchewan signed an agreement with the federal government's Canada

Millennium Scholarship Foundation today. This agreement frees $8.9

million in provincial funds. All of these funds will be reinvested in

post-secondary education for the benefit of students.



Minister Sonntag said that funding will also be invested to make

provincial financial assistance available to Saskatchewan

students who attend universities anywhere in Canada.



"Our province agreed to help break down inter-provincial

boundaries through the Social Union agreement signed earlier this

year," Sonntag said. "Saskatchewan students will now have access

to Saskatchewan financial assistance no matter where they attend

university. We've made another step towards strengthening the

bonds that hold our country together."



Today's announcement supplements important investments made for

universities and post-secondary students in and around this

year's provincial budget, including:



A collaboratively-funded $173.5 million commitment to build

a world-class Synchrotron facility at the University of

Saskatchewan.



$2.9 million for the College of Medicine at the University

of Saskatchewan.



$20 million in university capital investment to improve and

renew facilities.



$5 million for operating budgets and special initiatives.





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For more information, contact:



Terry White

Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training

Regina

Phone: (306) 787-1069