CASA

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations is a national lobby group which represents and advocates on behalf of SMUSA to the federal government. It is an alliance of 24 Student Associations and unions from across Canada that promotes the interest of over 300,000 post-secondary students. CASA meets regularly with Federal Members of Parliament, Cabinet Ministers, Senators and Public Servants, and attends relevant committee meetings and hearings.

CASA’s lobbying efforts are aimed at pressing the Federal Government to invest more in higher education – to ensure that Canada has an accessible, affordable, and high quality post-secondary system. Issues CASSA is working on include; Canada Student Loans Program, Canada Student Grant Program, Repayment Assistance Program, access and affordability of post-secondary education for underrepresented students, interest rates on student loans, indirect research costs, graduate students, undergraduate research, the granting councils, protection of intellectual property, CST funding, tuition, public vs. private institution, and the Pan-Canadian Accord.