CNC dental hygiene program tuition costs set

The cost of enrolling in the College of New Caledonia’s revamped dental hygiene program was set at $28,740 during the school’s board of directors meeting Friday.

The rate is the second lowest of the four programs offered in the province, according to a report to the board.

Only Camosun College is lower, at $22,150, and it’s expected that school will be increasing its fees, the board was told.

The two-year program stopped taking students in the fall of 2015 – the one-year dental assisting program has remained in place – while it went through a review to better meet industry requirements.

Several features of the renewed edition were highlighted in the report.

Among them, the number of spaces sits at 18 – an increase of three – while there will be an instructor for every five students, down from six, and expanded pre-clinical time will allow students to give direct patient care 10 weeks earlier.

The median income for those working in the field is $66,637 with 1,460 job openings projected between 2014 and 2024.

Broken down, tuition will be $20,910, dental fees will be $6,463 and common fees $1,367.

Also Friday, the board approved a one-year suspension of the nursing unit assistant program, also with the aim of bringing it into line with employer requirements.

Although the program went through a name change and the course work was revised in 2016, “it is apparent through our community partners that there is a need to review the curriculum,” acting dean – community and continuing education, Alison Anderson, said in a report.

She also noted applications for enrollment have been declining.

“Whether this is symptomatic of the curriculum or of the saturation in the market at this time is unclear,” Anderson said.

The two-year program stopped taking students in the fall of 2015... while it went through a review to better meet industry requirements.