Dalhousie University student groups are calling on the province to reinstall funding for eight psychology internships for PhD students, saying the cut will force students out of the province.
The Department of Health and Wellness said the cut was made for financial reasons and amounts to $220,000.
"Not only will we lose the intern positions, but these students are also unlikely to return to Nova Scotia after they have done their work term elsewhere," said Roxanne Sterniczuk, vice president of the Dalhousie Association of Graduate Students in psychology.
A release from the Dalhousie Student Union and the association of graduate students says the cut will impact mental health intervention, costing more down the line. It says a psychology intern costs about a third of the salary of a licensed psychologist.
"This short-sighted cut to post-secondary education and public services by the [Stephen] McNeil government will cost us more than it saves," said John Hutton, vice president of academic and external of the Dalhousie Student Union.
Department of Health spokesman Tony Kiritsis says while the government is no longer funding the program, the Nova Scotia Health Authority will continue the stipend for those under contract for the rest of the fiscal year.