Digging deeper to pay for tuition
Hike makes Memorial University in Newfoundland less appealing: students
ST. JOHN'S, N.L. – Reaction from students and people on social media hasn’t been positive to the July 9 announced increase in tuition fees at Memorial University (MUN) after a nearly quarter-century-long tuition freeze.
Even the St. John's, N.L.,based university's administration and board of regents say it’s possible the jump in tuition fees for undergraduate courses starting in
2022 could result in a 20 per cent reduction in new student enrolment that year, based on historical and financial data.
“I see an initial 20 per cent potential drop, but I see it as short term because I think we have a tremendous education to offer students and we have to really get through that first year of tuition increase and then build that student number back,” MUN president Vianne Timmons said.
“Adjusting tuition fees was not a decision that was made lightly. As part of an annual budget process the administration and the board of regents thought long and hard about the university’s ability to continue to offer the highquality programs students expect in the wake of these major reductions in government funding," Timmons added.
“We will have to provide excellent service to our students. We will have to focus on aggressive recruitment and aggressive retention.”
The tuition hikes begin in the fall of 2022.
There will also be four per cent increases implemented every fall up to the fall of 2026. Current students — including students who will register in the 2021-22 academic year — will pay tuition at the current price per course, plus a four per cent annual increase between from 2022-25.
The increase in fees are meant to offset funding reductions announced in the May 31 provincial budget, specifically the phasing out of the $68.4-million grant to Memorial that supported the tuition freeze.
A tuition increase was recommended in two reports — the Premier’s Economic Recovery Team (PERT) report, and the public postsecondary education review report in April.
The amount of the increase did not sit well with student representatives.
Katherine McLaughlin, chairperson for the Canadian Federation of Students in Newfoundland and Labrador, said the tuition jump is “massive” for students to absorb.
“It’s devastating to students,” she said.
“We are seeing an increase of somewhere around $2,500 for domestic students to $6,000 (per year), and an increase from $11,000 to $20,000 (per year) for international students.
“And those increases are going to go further, with an increase each year until 2026, making tuition around $7,000 a year for domestic students, and $23,000 a year for international students. For international students, that is going to make us one of the most expensive universities in Atlantic Canada.
In terms of it being affordable for domestic students, it is almost on par with the average. Any difference would be in the $100 or $200 range.”
McLaughlin says she fears the changes will take away Memorial University’s competitive edge.
“Coming to Newfoundland and Labrador is a huge cost for students outside of tuition — the travel, the isolation, the living costs. The reason they did come was that tuition was so low,” she said. “So we are losing our appeal as a university. Out-of-the-province and international students are not going to come in.”
Bert Power, director of student life with MUN’s student union, said students are enraged.
“I don’t think any students who have been preparing for the future, particularly high school students within the province from low-income families, have budgeted to afford education like this, and they are probably going to be considering options outside the province as a result,” he said.
Timmons said students with financial needs will be able to obtain more bursaries and scholarships that the university will increase fundraising efforts to support.
Even with the tuition increase, she said, Memorial University remains the most affordable university in Atlantic Canada.
She said work continues to cut costs at the university and find new sources of revenue, and Memorial has cut spending by $42 million since 2016 in order to balance its operating budget.
“We will continue to look for efficiencies in all our operations, while also finding new ways to support students,” Timmons said.
“In particular, we will be increasing our fundraising activities to add more scholarships and bursaries for both students in need and also to recognize high-achieving students.”