Readership Survey
Preliminary budget to be presented to Board of Governors April 20
The University has released its proposed multi-year tuition framework for tuition rates begin- ning in the 2006/2007 academic year. As reported previously in At Guelph, U of G anticipates a gap of about $8.7 million between expenditures and expected revenues in its preliminary 2006/2007 operating budget. To help address this short-fall, Guelph has determined that additional revenues from tuition increases will be needed.
President Alastair Summerlee met with the Student Budget Advisory Group March 22 to discuss the proposal. The new fees will be included in the University's preliminary budget, which will be presented to Board of Governors April 20.
U of G's fees reflect the new framework for setting tuition that was unveiled by the province March 9. Currently, tuition fees at Guelph are, on average, lower than those at other Ontario universities.
The proposed increases in domestic tuition fees are as follows:
Tuition fees for all currently registered international students will be frozen for the remainder of their program. From 2006/07 onwards, the University will introduce a program fee for all international students so they will know the total cost of tuition for the normal duration of their program before they accept an offer at Guelph. The new fees will be similar to international fees at other Ontario universities.
This will mean a significant increase in tuition fees, but it will apply only to new entering students. The proposed fee increase for entering undergraduate international students is $2,000 per semester for regular programs and $2,500 for professional programs. The proposed increase for entering international graduate students is $1,333 per semester for all programs.
Overall, the changes in domestic and international tuition fees are expected to generate an additional $3.7 million in revenue. Summerlee had said earlier that, given the current budget situation, the University would be hard-pressed not to increase tuition to the new allowed maximum for provincially regulated programs.
The government has also announced significant changes to student financial aid programs, including extending eligibility for access grants, which are aimed at helping lower-income students gain access to post-secondary education. This will mean more money and improved access, but it's not clear how this financial aid will work or how many U of G students will benefit.
Summerlee says the University is currently reviewing these changes and will combine the impact of the government's announcement with the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on Accessibility to University Education and seek to direct financial aid to support students who have not been eligible for such aid in the past. U of G will also seek to support graduate students and international students who will be affected by the proposed increases in tuition for next year.
Opportunities for public discussion on all components of the budget will continue at Senate April 11 and at a special open forum to be held April 19, the night before B of G meets. It begins at 6:30 p.m. in Room 1714 of OVC's Lifetime Learning Centre. Due to wide interest in the budget, the location of the April 20 B of G meeting has been changed to accommodate a larger audience. The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Room 1200 of the Thornbrough Building. Contact the Board Secretariat for tickets.
