Students and organizations have expressed concern over the announcement funding would be cut to the annual grant for Access programs along with the Access bursaries.

The program is designed to aid those who are disadvantaged achieve post-secondary education, and with the cut, the most impacted will be those who would have benefited from the program.

Those hoping to obtain their Mature Student Diploma can rest easy as this funding cut doesn't directly affect programming at centres like the Morden Adult Education Centre (MAEC) says MAEC Director Kelly Vipond.

Vipond says government wise MAEC falls under the umbrella of post-secondary and workforce development, but since the centre focuses on helping adults in literacy and getting a high school diploma funding is covered under Adult Learning and Literacy through Employment Manitoba.

"One of the major pieces of the government initiative I would say would be to return people to the workforce, and so a lot of focus has been placed on that as far as our programming goes."

Although the program won't be losing funding, Vipond says they aren't gaining any funding either. The MAEC has experienced a funding freeze for a few years, and unfortunately, funding hasn't increased to meet inflation and collective agreements.

The funding freeze has decreased operations says Vipond, losing teacher time this year and if they maintain status quo, they won't be able to afford a halftime teacher.

Although funding can be tight at times, Vipond says they do what they can to provide the best service to those coming through their doors.

"There are always challenges with our limited amount of staff. We have two teachers, two EAs, and an administrative assistant, and Western School Division supports us with a child care coordinator as well, so we have a very limited amount of staff to meet the diverse needs of people who come into our centre."

Vipond notes they do what they can to help mature students get their diploma, focusing on math and English competencies as those are required to achieve a Mature Student Diploma.