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Students speak out against tuition hike

The students’ union at the U of C held a Day of Action on Feb. 2 so students could send a message to Alberta’s minister of Advanced Education Doug Horner.

What’s the message? Students do not want tuition prices increased beyond the rate of inflation – about 1.5 per cent – where they are currently capped.

The university announced last week that huge “market modifiers” are being considered for professional programs like business, engineering, medicine, law and possibly more.

“In my mind it’s completely illegal,” said Bradford Stretton, a third-year math and history major. “The government has approved 1.5 per cent, and they are increasing it like 47 per cent. That doesn’t even make sense.

“It infuriates me.”

Stretton and friend Greg Gordon, took photos holding signs that read ‘The recession is hitting students just as hard as the university’ and ‘Students refuse to bail out their university through a massive hike in compulsory fees.’

Gordon planned to enrol at the university and take business, but he is reconsidering. He said he now wants to study at MRU.

These photos of students will be turned into postcards and mailed to government officials. The students’ union also provided petitions and letters to the minister for students to sign.
The numbers released by U of C officials are not finalized, and no formal request has been sent to the province.

If the increases go ahead as planned students in medicine would see an increase of $4,000 over the previous year, and law students would be paying an extra $1,823. Those numbers don’t include the previously allotted 1.5 per cent increase.

Harry Chase, MLA for the Calgary-Varsity riding, called the tuition hikes “ridiculous” and said the province’s economy would benefit more from better access to education.
“It’s closing doors at a time when we need them opened wider than ever,” said Chase.

When the province releases its budget Feb. 9, post-secondary institutions province-wide expect to see their funding remain flat or decrease. Cuts are expected.

But Chase doesn’t think students should bear the pain the university is feeling because of the recession. The U of C’s endowment fund was hit hard when the stock market tumbled because of some “risky ventures.”

“It appears that they’re looking at students to bail them out,” said Chase.

Three other Calgary institutions have indicated they won’t apply for the one-time tuition cap exemption from the province: SAIT, ACAD, and MRU.

Wayne King, VP of corporate services, said SAIT is in a better financial position than the U of C and has even run a surplus in recent years.

“We’re all going to share the pain a bit,” said King.

The U of A and NAIT have both filed proposals for large tuition increases. Horner will have to approve the requests and then each institution’s board of governors makes the final decision.

U of C administration also plans to raise compulsory fees for all students, which the government doesn’t regulate.

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