On Sept. 2, the British Columbia General Employees’ Union (BCGEU), one of the province’s largest public sector unions, went on strike until Oct. 26. The strike affected most provincial ministries in B.C., including the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, which administers student financial aid programs through StudentAid BC. 

The BCGEU went on strike when negotiations with the B.C. government for higher wages in future contracts reached an impasse. Until it was resolved, the strike left some B.C. students who rely on provincial student assistance unable to access their student loans and bursaries. According to StudentAid BC’s website, delays in student aid disbursements occurred until the labour dispute was resolved, and access to its online systems remained unavailable during the ongoing labour action.

Most students who rely on StudentAid BC have received their funding for the fall semester, but the few who have not have been greatly affected by the delays. Students who rely on assistance via BCGEU have expressed that the potential for continued delays during labour disputes may cause them more difficulty, especially with upcoming winter semester payment deadlines.

In a written statement to The Tribune, a McGill student who experienced delays to their B.C. student loans during strike negotiations, who wished to remain anonymous, described how McGill can support students under related financial strain.

“I hope that McGill will be understanding of the difficult situation the strike puts students in, and I hope they will take into consideration that most students who use [StudentAid BC loans] can not seek outside financial support,” they wrote.

In a written statement to The Tribune, McGill’s Scholarships and Student Aid Office encouraged B.C. students who have experienced financial hardship due to delays in government aid to contact the office for assistance.

“We offer one-on-one appointments with Financial Aid Counsellors who can assess individual circumstances and, where appropriate, provide institutional aid in the form of an emergency interest-free McGill loan to help bridge the gap while students [from British Columbia] await their funding,” the Office wrote. “Additionally, students who have requested a fee deferral due to delayed government aid have until the end of November to pay their tuition and fees. If a longer deferral is needed, our office can assist with arranging an extension.”

On behalf of the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS), Pearce-Tai Thomasson, the Society’s Vice President of Communications, clarified how the AUS has been aiming to help students affected by the ongoing delays.

“The AUS […] deeply sympathizes with the affected students and are open to sitting down with students struggling with this issue,” he expressed in a written statement to The Tribune. “While our scope remains limited to our constituents, we can provide students with options and help them navigate potential escalation to [the Students’ Society of McGill University] or the Deans within the Arts Faculty Admin. Students concerned can reach out to us using the Arts Public Directory.”

The AUS also provided a list of resources for students seeking ways to reduce their living costs, in the face of the burden brought on by the B.C. government’s failure to successfully negotiate to end its public sector strikes. The list includes resources for affordable transportation, on-campus food options, and mental health services.

Another student who wished to remain anonymous expressed frustration with the lack of public communication from the McGill Scholarships and Student Aid Office about the BCGEU strike’s effect on B.C. student aid disbursements. 

“[McGill] hasn’t been super transparent. [….] They could have sent an email to all of the [affected] students telling them they were addressing this,” they said, in an interview with The Tribune. “[McGill] has a delay on payments that you can apply for through the financial aid application […] and there’s [also] emergency funds, […] which are [resources] that the school definitely could advertise [more].”

Students from B.C. who have been impacted by student aid delays can reach McGill’s Scholarships and Student Aid Office by phone at 514-398-6013 or by email at [email protected].