Budget

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   It looks like there's some modestly good and some terrible decisions in the budget re: post-secondary education.
First, the terrible. They're introducing 500 elite doctoral scholarships at $50,000 per year!!!!!!!! That's tax free money for PhD students. that's a horrendous waste of money, mostly because it's impossible to correctly identify those scholars who really will pursue a research career when they start their PhDs. I know of several PhD students in my department alone who are recipients of the $35, 000 elite-level scholarships who have no interest in pursuing a research career. Wasted money.

As for the modestly good, they're winding up the Milennium Scholarship Foundation and replacing it with (I think) increased grants through the Canada Student Loan Program.  It would be helpful if someone could clarify if these grants really are an improvement.

finally, and this is what will probably interest most people here, there is some increased funding for reforms to the CSLP. Here are the exact details from the Finance Canada's quick index to the budget.

A quick couple of comments.  First, they're proposing $23 million for new service delivery.  I guess this is good, in the sense that it might get better.  But it could be terrible, because yet another change might just confuse the situation further. Second, from my perspective, the most helpful is the $74 million in increased funding for borrowers experiencing difficulties in repaying loans.  would this lead to an expanded interest relief and debt repayment programs?

I'm going to assume that with new money, the lobbying will now have to take place at the ministerial and departmental level to get those changes implemented in a pro-borrower way.

Comments?

Streamlining and Modernizing the Canada Student Loans Program
Canadian students and their families need simple, effective financial 
assistance programs. The complexities and gaps in the current system are 
preventing students from obtaining financial help and affecting their decision 
to pursue post-secondary education. Budget 2008 commits $123 million over four 
years starting in 2009�10 to streamline and modernize the Canada Student Loans 
Program. 
Measures will be put in place to improve service for students through a new 
service delivery vision, more equitable supports for part-time and married 
students, a new in-study interest-free period for reservists, and enhanced 
flexibility for those experiencing difficulty in debt repayment that is more 
reflective of the study-to-work transition of young graduates and the needs of 
students with disabilities.
New investments include:
  $23 million over four years for a new service delivery vision that will 
    expand online services and enable students to manage their loans online from 
    application through repayment.
$26 million over four years to narrow the gap between contributions 
    from spouses and parents of students by reducing the expected spousal 
    contributions, and to make federal student loans more attractive to 
    part-time students.
$74 million over four years to make the Canada Student Loans Program 
    more responsive to the economic circumstances of borrowers, including those 
    with disabilities, by providing greater assistance for those experiencing 
    difficulty in repaying their loans.
Over the next year, the Government will work with provinces and territories 
to implement these new measures and ensure effective coordination with existing 
programs. 
The combination of the new Canada Student Grant Program and measures to 
streamline and modernize the Canada Student Loans Program will contribute to 
Canada�s Knowledge Advantage by helping to develop a highly educated workforce 
well equipped to take on the challenges of a fast-paced global economy.