Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Editorial: Take a deeper look before vilifying tuition increases - the Gateway, University of Alberta

Another year, another international tuition increase. When it was announced in November that tuition would be raised by at least 3.02 per cent for all international students with no such increases on domestic students, many were left crying foul. How can they not? Their tuition, already nearly triple what domestic students pay, is increasing for undergraduates by anywhere from $614.40 and $1,334.32 per year in 2017-18. Coupled with being away from family, language barriers, and uncertain financial situations, I — and every other domestic student — can’t begin to comprehend the stress this would bring. The narrative surrounding this increase has, so far, vilified the university at every turn. Students have expressed feeling like cash cows, and as though the university is balancing its budget on the backs of international students. This is true in many ways, but don’t be fooled into thinking domestic tuition wouldn’t be going up too if the university had its way. https://thegatewayonline.ca/2017/01/editorial-take-deeper-look-vilifying-tuition-increases/