Alberta universities urge Canada to regulate tuition increases for international students

The University of Calgary saw an increase of 10 per cent in tuition fees for international students in May which affected about 6,000 students, while at the University of Alberta, international student tuition is expected to rise by six per cent starting in the 2023-24 academic year.

This would impact about 4,100 new international students enrolling that year and will add about $10,000 to most art and science degrees.

It was reported by Statistics Canada last fall that, on average, international undergraduate students in Alberta paid about $28,000 a year in tuition, compared to $6,600 for their Canadian counterparts.

Alberta’s tuition fees for international undergraduate students rank fourth highest nationally behind Quebec, B.C., and Ontario, which charge an average of $42,000 per student. The national average is about $34,000.

“Tuition for all students has increased tremendously, with no similar increase in quality. International students are bearing the brunt of these increases,” University of Calgary President Nicole Schmidt said in a statement.

“It’s time for the government of Alberta to protect international students from the sharp increases they’ve endured over the last few years.”

“International students face twice the rate of food insecurity compared to domestic students,”  University of Alberta President Abner Monterio was reported to say.

“Also, the amount of harassment or discrimination in the classroom, which results in a lot of international students needing mental health supports and culturally appropriate mental health supports that aren’t always available on our campus.”

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)