‘We’re not a budget line’: Students protest at N.B. legislature over education funding

Student union leaders across New Brunswick gather at a protest outside the legislature in Fredericton, N.B. (Polina Kozlova/AQ)

Approximately 400 students, faculty members and community supporters gathered outside the New Brunswick legislature on March 17 to protest proposed cuts to post-secondary education as the provincial government presented its budget.

Finance Minister René Legacy presented the 2026-2027 provincial budget at 1:00 p.m., announcing that the government will freeze all operating grants for post-secondary education. However, the provincial government is still in conversation about a possible 10 per cent cut for next year.

According to Ana Lucia Pavón, president of the St. Thomas University Students' Union (STUSU), even with a funding freeze, the government would not be able to keep up with inflation, resulting in cuts to universities.

Students met at St. Thomas University’s lower courtyard before marching to the legislature, carrying signs and chanting “reduce the fees” while calling for the province to increase funding for universities and colleges.

Colby Leblanc, incoming STUSU president, with Kyra Lustig, incoming STUSU vice president education, and Grace Perry, current Vanier Hall representative. (Polina Kozlova/AQ)

“We don’t want cuts — we want investments,” said Kyra Lustig, incoming STUSU vice-president education. “If you want students to stay in the province, you have to invest in them.”

Student leaders from across the province attended the rally, including representatives from the University of New Brunswick Saint John (UNBSJ), Mount Allison University, Université de Moncton, New Brunswick Community College (NBCC) and Collège communautaire du Nouveau Brunswick (CCNB).

Christian Cunningham (left), president of the NBCC Student Union, and Connor Stevens (right). (Polina Kozlova/AQ)

Connor Stevens, vice-president external for UNBSJ, said his student union decided to take part after hearing concerns from students about possible reductions in funding.

“They’re afraid of the cuts, they’re afraid of the uncertainty and not being consulted by the provincial government,” Stevens said.

He said students should not be treated as a line item in the provincial budget.

“We’re not a budget line,” Stevens said. “These are our future doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, entrepreneurs and job creators.”

Students also raised concerns about the cost of education. Cedric Boson, incoming president of the student association at CCNB, said affordability is already a challenge for many students.

“We want them to reduce the fees,” Boson said. “We’re studying for Canada, but we want them to reduce the price so we can study well.”

Wilson Paluch, current MASU president, and Kassandra Vail, incoming MASU president, arrived at St. Thomas University alongside Mount Allison University students. (Polina Kozlova/AQ)

Wilson Paluch, president of the Mount Allison Students’ Union (MASU), said students travelled long distances to show their support.

“If you want to invest in the future, students should be at the forefront,” Paluch said.

Student representatives from Université de Moncton also attended the rally. Mathieu Landry, student union president for the Université de Moncton’s Shippagan campus, said potential cuts could affect communities across the province.

“We don’t want to cut the budget because it impacts not only the university, but every community in New Brunswick,” Landry said.

Faculty members attended and spoke at the protest. (Polina Kozlova/AQ)

Robin Vose, president of the St. Thomas University Faculty Association, said maintaining strong universities is essential for the province’s future.

“You are going to be serving this province,” Vose said. “The 21st century is not the time to start dumbing down society.”

Some students also criticized the decision of the UNBSU Fredericton campus not to formally participate in the protest.

Isla Hayward, a forestry student at UNB who attended the rally independently, said she was disappointed more UNB representatives did not attend.

“I think there’s value in all ways of advocating for students,” Hayward said. “But it would have been nice to see more of them here.”

Hayward said investment in education is especially important as the province faces demographic challenges.

“We are an increasingly aging province,” Hayward said. “Not educating our students isn’t just going to affect us — it’s going to affect the entirety of New Brunswick.”

Green Party Leader David Coon also joined the students at the protest outside the legislature. (Polina Kozlova/AQ)

Among the politicians present was MLA David Coon, who said universities have been under financial pressure for years.

“Universities have not seen a real increase in funding for more than a decade,” Coon said. “Funding hasn’t kept pace with inflation, and that has put upward pressure on tuition.”

Coon warned that further cuts could force universities to reduce course offerings or lay off instructors if institutions are unable to absorb the losses.

“If universities don’t account for the cuts through larger deficits, they may have to lay off part-time faculty or reduce programs,” Coon said.

Students and organizers said they plan to continue advocating during the legislative debate on the provincial budget in the coming weeks.