Invest in Us: NB Students Rally Against Proposed Funding Reduction

Cover Photo Credit: Violet S.Z. Maier

On March 17th 2026, over 1000 students from UNB, St. Thomas University, Mount Allison University, Université de Moncton, and NBCCD (New Brunswick College of Craft and Design) gathered at the Fredericton Legislative Assembly to protest the Holt administration’s proposed $35–50 million budget cut to post-secondary education. The protest occurred simultaneously with the administration’s decision on the final budget. The protest began at 10 a.m., lasting around five hours. UNB student Islay Hayward organized the event along with all the New Brunswick university student unions, except the UNBSU.

Mikhaela Boyd, a UNB student part of the protest organizing team, gave an incredible speech in regard to international students: 

“Right now, international students at the University of New Brunswick are charged over 12 thousand dollars more than domestic students for a full time arts degree; we are not an alternative to government funding. We cannot pretend that the disproportionate, targeted overcharging of international students in post-secondary education is justified in any way. We sit in the same chairs, write the same midterms on the same desks, and lose equal amounts of sleep.”

As time passed, some noticeable faces began to appear within the crowd outside the Legislature, namely NB Green Party leader David Coon. He voiced his concerns regarding the proposed cuts and their potential consequences; he also encouraged the younger generations to continue the conversation and never give up the fight for a better future.

After the meeting concluded at roughly 3 p.m., the board members exited the building, attempting to get through the large crowd, who continued chanting “No more cuts.” 

Deputy Premier René Legacy, while exiting the meeting among his peers, stated:

“The budget for post secondary [education] is frozen this year. We have kept the same amount [allocated].”

A protester then asked, “What about next year?”

Legacy responded: 

“We need to talk to you guys, because you’re paying the highest tuition in this country. We need to look at the structure, and you guys are all about change and bringing transformation, so we need to hear you—but we cannot be afraid of discussion.”

I rebuked this statement, expressing my confusion by asking why he, or any members of the New Brunswick Legislature, would feel afraid.

The Deputy Premier ended with: 

“You cannot get upset, we need to talk and that’s what we are doing, that’s why we aren’t cutting [the budget].”

The fight for our education is not over. Check out studentsagainstcutsnb on Instagram for further updates.