SASKATOON (CUP) — As universities try to balance their budgets in the face of a sluggish economy, Canadian university students have seen their tuition go up by eight per cent in the last two years.
A four per cent increase for the 2010–11 year was followed by another 4.3 per cent hike this year, according to recent Statistics Canada study.
The Canadian average for undergraduate tuition is now $5,366.
In Alberta, tuition is nominally capped to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), meaning it increased by about two per cent for the 2011–12 year. Average fees for full-time undergrads in that province sit at $5,662.
“However, that number is misleading,” said University of Alberta Students’ Union vice-president external Farid Iskandar. “Alberta has the highest mandatory non-instructional fees levied on students in the country: they’re $1,399.”
The national average for compulsory fees went up 5.5 per cent for undergrads.
While Canadian undergrads are paying more each year, they are still significantly better off than either their international student counterparts or graduate students.
International students, who represent a rapidly growing portion of the student population, pay an average of $17,571 in tuition — up 9.5 per cent from two years ago.