Tuition at the University of Regina is expected to jump 2.8 per cent on average in 2018-19. It’s the tenth straight year tuition has climbed since a tuition freeze ended in 2008.
Tuition has jumped 36 per cent since then.
“We don’t like making any cuts at all, and so it’s particularly difficult, and anytime it affects individuals so directly as this, those are the toughest cuts and changes to make,” University of Regina Vice-President Dave Button said.
Those changes mean higher costs, and the loss of three athletic programs.
“It may look good on the University end, balanced budget, but at the end a lot of people are struggling, suffering and disappointed,” University of Regina Student Union President Haris Khan said.
“Tuition is real hard to pay for us. As a student, I’m not from Canada, so it makes it even more difficult because we have so many expenses,” one international student told Global News.
“It’s real hard for me, if our rate is increasing I don’t know if I’m going to study or not,” another noted.
The U of R has tried to offer some assistance, including injecting $275,000 into next year’s scholarship funds.
“You can either lower tuition directly or you can help target, and one of the benefits of actually targeting is it’s a better opportunity to give funding assistance to the students with the greatest need,” Button added.
The budget also highlighted record enrollment numbers, with 15,000 students expected this year, and a 2.9 percent increase in international students, a new growing form of revenue for the university.
It’s the 24th consecutive balanced budget tabled by the university.