International students might have to dig a little deeper in their pockets starting Spring 2016. Following on the heels of the recent 9.2 per cent international tuition hike in 2015, the university’s Board of Governors approved an additional nine per cent increase in international student tuition Feb. 2, 2016.
Tuition hikes are increasingly commonplace in higher education. Some examples are an overall increase in the past two years of roughly 19 per cent for international students. This year, tuition for domestic regulated programs will see a three per cent increase and domestic tuition for unregulated programs will see a five per cent increase.
According to Nick Manning, UW’s director of media relations, “We have re-evaluated the costs of studying here and increased tuition for international students to better reflect the enormous value of a degree from the University of Waterloo.
“The University of Waterloo does not receive funding from outside agencies such as the government in support of international students, so fees for international students will always vary significantly from those paid by Canadians or permanent residents.”
While that might be true, Stephane Hamade, Feds VP education, said, “Many of our students have difficulty paying for their tuition already, and the nine per cent increase will make it even more difficult. This increase will cost $1,000 per term or more per student.”
This is not to say that UW is not acknowledging the impact of the recent increase. Manning said, “Increases in the cost of attending the University of Waterloo place an additional burden on international students and their families.” However, “International tuition fees at Waterloo remain lower than other comparable universities in Ontario.”
In addition, UW will, “offer financial aid for eligible international students and will be more than doubling this fund to $750,000 to assist those in financial need,” Manning said.
Though with these frequent changes in tuition, Hamade hopes that “the university will take predictability of tuition for international students into account in the future.”
Students can expect an email from the Registrar’s Office with the full details sent campus-wide regarding the tuition change agreed by the Board of Governors.
