Manitoba Liberals are promising more financial aid for students who need help paying for university tuition, if elected next week.

Standing outside Red River College's Paterson GlobalFoods Institute on Main Street, Liberal leader Dougald Lamont pledged Sunday to double a student-aid program from $5 million to $10 million during the first year of a Manitoba Grit government.

"It is still too hard for too many people to afford the education they need to get a good job," said Lamont, who also pledged to broaden the eligibility criteria for the program.

"The current student-aid program in Manitoba is so hard to qualify for, that many people don't even bother and they just take loans from banks instead."

Lamont blamed decades worth of Progressive Conservative and NDP governments for underfunding post-secondary education. He said a Liberal government would increase funding for universities and colleges at a rate equal to the rate of inflation.

In response to the Liberal pledge, NDP spokesperson Emily Coutts said in a statement her party is glad it convinced the Liberals to increase funding for student aid.

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