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In December, the Board of Directors at Laurentian University
approved tuition increases of four per cent for full-time undergraduate
students, four per cent for returning graduate students and eight per cent
for new graduate students. The province has allowed universities to
increase tuitions as much as 4.5%.
A total of 30% of the tuition increase must be redistributed back
into bursaries to provide financial aid assistance to students in need.
While this seems like a noble gesture, what the province has done is
institute a “hidden tax” on students in the form of “tuition
increases” in order to redistribute the wealth of those students who
attend the school. Instead of receiving additional grants from the
province to provide increased financial assistance to students in need,
the tuition hike allows the university to take money from students who
otherwise do not qualify for bursaries to fund this program. This would be
the same as asking all students attending Laurentian University to
“donate” some money so that it can be given out in bursaries to those
who are in need.
Sebastien Perth, president of Laurentian University Students'
General Association, has correctly pointed out that instead of raising
tuitions, the board should be putting pressure on the province for more
funding.
It may not seem like much, but the extra couple of hundred dollars
it will cost in additional tuition would have been used to help pay for
internet costs, books, etc.
As it stands now, undergraduate students will be paying from $4,706
to $5,106 depending on their program.
Added to these tuition fees, however, are additional student fees
that cover other things such as the Student General Association fee,
athletic fees, health insurance fees, bus pass fees, etc. This additional
fee is generally in the neighbourhood of 20% of the tuition fee and MUST
be paid by students attending Laurentian. There is no cap on these fees
and increases can be applied as needed.
When you add the cost of books as well as living expenses, parking
fees and transportation costs, it is easy to see why most students are
emerging from post-secondary school not only with a degree, but also with
a dept that will take ten years to pay off. Some have chosen to reduce
their course load and take on part-time employment to help make ends meet.
Others take the full course load and try to fit in part-time jobs to cover
expenses, but this adds a great deal to the stress level and often leads
to failed courses and/or dropping out of school.
Despite warnings from all sources about the importance of
post-secondary training, only about 50% of all students who enter Grade 9
actually end up going on to college or university. Many of those who do
begin post-secondary diploma programs end up postponing their studies,
changing to other programs, or dropping out completely. Financial
considerations have a lot to do with these decisions.
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