The University of Regina Board of Governors recently approved a 2.8% increase on tuition that would be effective September 2019.
A post-secondary education is an investment that significantly improves an individual’s ability to contribute to society. It is vital that this opportunity remains as affordable and accessible as possible. The Students’ Union of the University of Regina Inc. (URSU) is concerned and disappointed that this represents the 11th consecutive year in which the University has saddled students with increased tuition costs. An increase of 2.8% would immediately impact thousands of students this year as well as years to come. As such, URSU calls on the University administration and the provincial government to work diligently to ensure that tuition remains affordable.
The current bimodal university revenue structure depends on student investment to cover shortfalls in government spending. These shortfalls force the University to explore revenue generating opportunities to help cover the rising cost of education and it is our hope that these opportunities always have the students’ best interests in mind. We at URSU realize and recognize the need for a balanced budget but we object to the continual balancing of the budget on the backs of students.
The increases in tuition also result in additional pressure on URSU, socially and financially, to not only maintain but continuously grow and expand our support services. Programs such as our Emergency Bursary Fund, URSU Pantry, and Career Development Grant have seen increased use and the demand for these services will become even greater in light of the increase. We are working diligently to find ways to bolster these and other programs so we can alleviate some of the financial burden that this tuition increment places on students.
URSU remains committed to working with the University of Regina to lessen the impact of increasing costs of tuition, so that education may remain accessible for students today and tomorrow!
Victor Oriola
URSU President
For more information please email pres@ursu.ca.
Students who feel they have been adversely affected by the tuition increase can contact the URSU Student Advocate by emailing advocate@ursu.ca. For more information on the various supports and services offered by the URSU, including the URSU Pantry, please visit: ursu.ca/services/.