Fredericton’s 2026 budget falls short for post-secondary students, says STUSU president
- Polina Kozlova
- 12 hours ago
- 3 min read
According to the president of the St. Thomas University Students’ Union (STUSU), the City of Fredericton’s 2026 budget leaves post-secondary students on the sidelines.
The municipal budget, approved earlier this month, prioritizes health-care infrastructure, K–12 education and long-term municipal services. While student leaders acknowledge the importance of those investments, they say the needs of university students were not meaningfully considered.
Key student concerns such as affordability, housing and public transit remain insufficiently addressed.
“In terms of direct impact on campus for our students, there really isn’t much,” said Ana Lucia Pavon, president of STUSU. “Most of what’s in the budget affects students indirectly, if at all.”
Pavon said affordability remains the biggest issue facing students at St. Thomas University, particularly as housing costs, food prices, and transportation expenses continue to rise in Fredericton.
“The biggest thing that affects our students is affordability,” said Pavon. “And I don’t think there was much emphasis on post-secondary students as a group in this budget.”
The city’s budget includes funding increases related to housing initiatives, but Pavon said those measures are unlikely to benefit students.
“I did see that some things were increased in terms of housing,” she said. “However, I don’t think it’s going to have a big impact on students in terms of what we would want to see.”
One area Pavon described as a “win” in the budget is increased investment in K–12 education, including funding for classrooms and school infrastructure. However, she said the budget’s focus highlights a long-standing gap between secondary and post-secondary education in New Brunswick.
“In New Brunswick, unlike a lot of other provinces, there’s a huge gap between school and university,” she said. “First-year students often come in not fully prepared for what university demands.”
Pavon said stronger early education could help students in the long term, but added that it should not replace targeted investments in post-secondary education.
“Investing in schools is good — that’s a long-term win,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean post-secondary can be overlooked.”
Despite concerns about the budget, Pavon said STUSU’s advocacy strategy will remain the same.
“Every year, we do advocacy before budget submissions and that hasn’t changed.”
Pavon said the timing of the budget has increased urgency for student leaders.
“It made us hit the ground running right after the break,” she said. “Instead of changing strategy, we’re reacting to the budget and continuing those conversations.”
STUSU representatives met with City of Fredericton officials in early November, before the release of the budget.
“The good thing is that we already have an open line with the city,” she said. “That allows us to keep talking and push student concerns forward.”
Pavon said one of her broader concerns is that post-secondary education does not appear to be a priority in municipal budgeting, even as universities face staffing pressures and service challenges.
While she did not point to a specific budget line as particularly alarming, Pavon said the overall absence of post-secondary considerations signals a disconnect between municipal planning and student realities.
She said students who feel disconnected from municipal politics should still make an effort to stay informed and involved, particularly at the local level.
“I would really encourage participation in local politics,” she said. “Budgets like this affect students more than they realize.”
At the same time, she emphasized that students do not need to advocate alone.
“Advocacy is something we take very seriously,” said Pavon. “Our role is to take student concerns and translate them to [the] government.”
She encourages students to communicate the issues they’re facing.
“Keep telling us what bothers you,” she said. “We’re here to advocate for you.”