Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador clock tower on the St. John’s campus. Photo by File photo /THE TELEGRAMArticle contentIt’s 2 a.m. and a Memorial University student is scrolling through Facebook housing groups, desperate for a room they can afford. Another student is skipping meals so they can save enough money for textbooks. A nursing student is working unpaid shifts on their mandatory placement, struggling to cover rent while still meeting the demands of their program.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThis is not just “student life.” This is student survival, and it’s unsustainable.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentOn Oct. 1, 2025 students across Newfoundland and Labrador will gather at the MUN Clock Tower at noon for the Day of Action: 1999’s Unfinished Business. We will rally, march to the Confederation Building, and send one clear message to our government: students can’t wait any longer for meaningful change.Article contentIn 1999, students mobilized, fought back and won a tuition freeze that kept education affordable in this province for over two decades. That victory proved that when students are united, we can change the course of history. But today, tuition is up, scholarships have lagged behind, housing is scarce, and food insecurity is a daily reality for too many of us. What was won in 1999 is slipping away, and we are determined to finish what was started.Article contentWHY WE’RE FIGHTINGArticle contentThe tuition freeze was lifted in 2022, and tuition fees have more than doubled since then. Students now face some of the highest costs in the country, and many are being priced out of higher education altogether.Article contentArticle contentMeanwhile, need-based scholarships have not been properly funded or expanded to meet today’s realities. International students — including those from war-torn countries like Sudan, Palestine and Congo — face impossible financial barriers without access to genuine need-based support. For too many students, scholarships exist in name only, with little impact on the ground.Article contentThe housing crisis has hit students hard. We line up at food banks, we cram into unsafe or overcrowded apartments, and yet students are rarely included in housing strategies developed by the government.Article contentFood insecurity has reached alarming levels on campus. Campus food banks are overwhelmed, yet more students depend on them every semester. Choosing between food and education is not a choice anyone should have to make.Article contentAnd for students in Nursing, Social Work, and Education, unpaid mandatory work terms amount to exploitation. Students give their time, energy and labour — often in front-line roles — while struggling to make ends meet without a paycheck. This isn’t training; it’s free labour that devalues both students and the professions they are preparing to enter.
LETTER: This is not just ‘student life, it’s survival’: why students are taking action on Oct. 1
