U of A increases tuition

Scott Harris, AFL Staff

Despite months of campaigning against tuition hikes, students will be paying more to attend the University of Alberta next year. After meeting for over four hours, the University Board of Governors voted on a compromise deal which will see an overall tuition increase of 6.9 percent.

This increase means tuition for the average U of A student will rise to $4310 next year.

The Board rejected plans to increase tuition for undergraduate students in Business by an additional $700, instead choosing to increase the overall increase from the planned 6.4 percent.

Despite pleas from student leaders, other highly controversial differential tuition fee increases passed, meaning that students attending law, medicine and MBA programs will pay even more in the coming years.

For medical students, tuition will rise by an addition $2000 per year for three years to $12,037 by 2005-06. Tuition for law students will rise to $8575 in 2004-05 from the current $4300. Students entering the MBA program will increase from $4491 this year to $9778 in 2004-05.

Student leaders argued for an overall increase of 7.5 percent across the board rather than differential fees, saying that move would be "the lesser of two evils."

Graduate Students’ Association President Brad Wuetherick warned that implementing differential fees is a "slippery slope." He predicted that the move would lead to other faculties requesting higher tuition and asked "Where does it stop?"

Both students and board members agree that government support for post-secondary education must increase. Board Chair Jim Edwards said Albertans must be made aware of the situation, saying that "public opinion must be brought to bear on those elected officials."

The University of Calgary Board of Governors meets March 21st to vote on similar tuition increases.