U of C tuition to go up: way up

[Freeway]

The Students' Union was given preliminary numbers for next year's U of C tuition yesterday:

1.5% increase for everyone
PLUS: extra $200 for each engineering class, $240 for each business class, $1,820 for each law school year and $4,000 for each med school year
PLUS: roughly $500 compulsory fee (several fees will be bound together into a super-mandatory fee, but it'll be around $500 in new fees)

Story's coming out in tomorrow's Gauntlet and will be on the SU website sometime today or tomorrow. If you're at the U of C and wanna bitch, bitch to your MLA, the Advanced Education minister and the Provost of the U of C. The Provost will be at the SU meeting on Tuesday, February 2 at 6:30 in Mac Hall.

[burn_this_city]

Gotta pay for Harveys golden parachute somehow.

[Flabbibulin]

Tuition was around 2000-2250/semester when I started U of C back when. What is it now?

I never really cared about tuition prices until after I started paying for it post-graduation- I wish I had paid more attention and voiced my concern when it mattered. Undergrad students loans, combined with doing my Masters overseas has me paying about 700/month to student loans right now.

[REDVAN]

Education is a priviledge, not a right...

But, I don't know a single person who didn't go to university/college because they couldn't afford it straight out of high school. They all got loans if they needed to. It works out. Loans suck, but having a job in a field you like is better.

That being said, I'd love to go back to school for more university- can't afford to. So I see both sides of the coin here.

It's not the university's problem that I have to live somewhere, eat, etc... but it is their problem that they have lots of staff, utility costs, etc. Cut costs and students bitch. Raise tuition and students bitch. Get the point? Students bitch no matter what. I was a student there, I know the culture at U of C.

If you don't like it or can't afford it, go somewhere more reasonably priced.

[JBR]

My freshman year cost me $480/semester... full course load.

Now these kids with their rock and roll music and long hair...

[mykalberta]

I only pay 160/month in student loans and it ends in 2 years and I graduated almost 6 years ago. I also took a year off and did a "football" year of only 3 bs courses a semester.

Had I finished in 4 years like you should with most Bachelor degrees, I would be done paying off my student loans. What killed me was the cost of living as my parents didnt live in the city I chose to go to school in.

Anyone who lives at home and b!tches about tuition fees dont know anything about costs IMO.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by JBR

My freshman year cost me $480/semester... full course load.

Now these kids with their rock and roll music and long hair...

How old are you, did the UofC even exist when you went to school

[troutman]

1.5% is "way up"?

[Flabbibulin]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

How old are you, did the UofC even exist when you went to school

Ya, my brother paid around that in the early 90s... But his degree was useless, so he went to an American school after and paid 11,000/year.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Education is a priviledge, not a right...

If you don't like it or can't afford it, go somewhere more reasonably priced.

Education these days is a necessity, not a privilege. A smart country makes sure it's citizenry is properly trained, and isn't burdened down by debt. An educated workforce will pay you more than back down the line.

Low education costs are one of the best things that distinguish Canada from the US. Trust me, you don't want to go down the road of the U.S....I have friends who have 6-figure loans they are still working on well into their thirties. Not fun.

[Bertuzzied]

My first semester tuition was $650 for 5 classes. By the 4th year when i left it was $1800/semester.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Education is a priviledge, not a right...

But, I don't know a single person who didn't go to university/college because they couldn't afford it straight out of high school. They all got loans if they needed to. It works out. Loans suck, but having a job in a field you like is better.

That being said, I'd love to go back to school for more university- can't afford to. So I see both sides of the coin here.

It's not the university's problem that I have to live somewhere, eat, etc... but it is their problem that they have lots of staff, utility costs, etc. Cut costs and students bitch. Raise tuition and students bitch. Get the point? Students bitch no matter what. I was a student there, I know the culture at U of C.

If you don't like it or can't afford it, go somewhere more reasonably priced.

I'd like to echo Table's thoughts on this. Education is a right. People who are qualified and motivated enough to go to school should absolutely be able to do so. That is why there are programs like student loans.

Going to school while not working, and still partying, and having a car and all of that certainly is a priviledge, but that's a different story.

As for your comment about not being able to afford to go back to school, I'd say that's not correct either.
What you can't afford is to keep the quality of life you want while you are going to school, which relates directly to my first point.

Going to school, and going to school while living large, are entirely different things.

[calgaryrocks]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

Tuition was around 2000-2250/semester when I started U of C back when. What is it now?

I never really cared about tuition prices until after I started paying for it post-graduation- I wish I had paid more attention and voiced my concern when it mattered. Undergrad students loans, combined with doing my Masters overseas has me paying about 700/month to student loans right now.

last semester for me was about 2700, this one is 2900, but that's with a block week course.
it works out to something like $500 per business course. an increase of $240 per class? that is huge, like 50%.
im glad this is the last semester of my degree

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Education these days is a necessity, not a privilege. A smart country makes sure it's citizenry is properly trained, and isn't burdened down by debt. An educated workforce will pay you more than back down the line.

Low education costs are one of the best things that distinguish Canada from the US. Trust me, you don't want to go down the road of the U.S....I have friends who have 6-figure loans they are still working on well into their thirties. Not fun.

I agree with this, however I also believe that in terms of the burden of debt, that Students have to pay a certain percentage of their education and debt should be expected. Its the price of the privlege. I don't believe that 100% government funding of student makes any sense whatsover. There's still massive infrastructure and technology costs and expectation costs.

Increases in costs for students are neccessary, you have to believe that the government funded portions of Student Costs have also increased substantially.

Personally in Canada I've never heard of a person that can't attend higher education due to costs. There are low interest student loans, there are scholarships etc. So in effect higher education is a right but a right that you not only have to earn academically but you also have to pay for in a massively undercosted tuition fee.

I went to a U.S. school and my yearly tuition put a lot of peoples 4 year costs at the time to shame. And I had no problem with emerging from school with a debt load, it was an investment that I was willing to make to increase my income potential.

If we went to a totally tuitionless system, I'm sure that it would be a increased tax burden that nobody would want to bear.

[calgaryrocks]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I agree with this, however I also believe that in terms of the burden of debt, that Students have to pay a certain percentage of their education and debt should be expected. Its the price of the privlege. I don't believe that 100% government funding of student makes any sense whatsover. There's still massive infrastructure and technology costs and expectation costs.

Increases in costs for students are neccessary, you have to believe that the government funded portions of Student Costs have also increased substantially.

Personally in Canada I've never heard of a person that can't attend higher education due to costs. There are low interest student loans, there are scholarships etc. So in effect higher education is a right but a right that you not only have to earn academically but you also have to pay for in a massively undercosted tuition fee.

I went to a U.S. school and my yearly tuition put a lot of peoples 4 year costs at the time to shame. And I had no problem with emerging from school with a debt load, it was an investment that I was willing to make to increase my income potential.

If we went to a totally tuitionless system, I'm sure that it would be a increased tax burden that nobody would want to bear.

I agree here. I know people from countries where tuition is essentially paid. everyone goes to university, but because everyone does, and and they don't pay for it, the education loses its value. having a bachelors degree isn't that useful, because everyone has one, and getting one doesn't show the employer you had drive to go to university and finish, because, everyone does

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I agree with this, however I also believe that in terms of the burden of debt, that Students have to pay a certain percentage of their education and debt should be expected. Its the price of the privlege. I don't believe that 100% government funding of student makes any sense whatsover. There's still massive infrastructure and technology costs and expectation costs.

I don't disagree, i think it's fair to share some of the burden, as it also gives value to what you are doing (nobody respects anything free). In the end though, it should still be an accessible option for all, and should not burden your life down in the long-term. Tuition costs can be a slippery slope.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by troutman

1.5% is "way up"?

$200 extra for each engineering class, for example, will tack on probably a good $1600 per year for engineering students on top of the 1.5%. Then add the $500 in new "compulsory fees".

[Clarkey]

What percentage is subsidized by the government? Has that gone down? I seem to remember that students only cover 14% of the cost of schooling in Canada, I have no idea if this is correct or not.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by calgaryrocks

I agree here. I know people from countries where tuition is essentially paid. everyone goes to university, but because everyone does, and and they don't pay for it, the education loses its value. having a bachelors degree isn't that useful, because everyone has one, and getting one doesn't show the employer you had drive to go to university and finish, because, everyone does

For a country, the point is to make sure everyone has a high level of education to boost the overall productivity of the nation, and not to distinguish yourself from the competition on an individual level.

Hypothetically which one makes more sense, a country 100% full of bachelor degrees, or a country with 90% high school dropouts and 10% bachelors? To an individual it might mean they have to distinguish themselves in other ways (ie. a Masters degree, a resume with racing stripes), but that base level of education is still very important.

[Flabbibulin]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

$200 extra for each engineering class, for example, will tack on probably a good $1600 per year for engineering students on top of the 1.5%. Then add the $500 in new "compulsory fees".

but at least they'll make around 40-50 first year after school, unlike Arts degree grads who will go back to their summer job.