Does Dal Even Care About Us?
On Monday, January 23rd , 2023, Dalhousie University announced a 3% increase
on domestic student tuitions fees and 7.5% increase for international students.
Despite the implementation of a new tuition model for international students and increase of $1.1 million in student assistance funds, Dal failed to understand the impacts that tuition fee increases will have on students and their availability the learn and thrive within Dal Campus.
What is a new Tuition Fee Model?
A new Tuition Fee Model provides future international undergraduate students with a tuition guarantee. The tuition price a student pays will be the same in each year of their program.
This will only include students starting Fall 2023 or later.
How is Post-Secondary Education Funded?
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In Accordance with the Federal-Provincial Arrangements Act, the Federal Government provides each province with transfers to fund healthcare and education within the province. The Canada Social Transfers (CST) is meant to support three areas of social programs within a province:
Social assistance
Early childhood development
Post-secondary education.
For the 2022-23, the province of Nova Scotia received $4.1 Billion the federal-provincial transfers with $417 million being allocated to CST.
In 2023-23, Nova Scotia will receive $4.5 Billion with $434 million being allocated to CST.
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Through the Department of Labour and Advanced Education, Post-Secondary Education Institutions work with the Province of Nova Scotia to ensure Post-Secondary education is affordable and accessible. In 2019, the Province of Nova Scotia and Nova Scotian Universities like Dalhousie University, entered into a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). In addition to this MOU outlining standard regard the quality of educations and improvement to accessibility, it also includes a tuition policy forbidding tuition to be increased by more than 3% Nova Scotia students.
Additionally, Dalhousie University also sits on the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents.
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In 2010-11:
60% of Dalhousie University’s revenue came from government sources, with only 31% coming from tuition and fees.
In 2019, government funding (49%) barely edged out tuition and fee revenue (42%).
As of today, tuition makes up 46% of Dalhousie University revenue.
Instead of introducing a cap on University Administers salaries, the province has only limited the rate of increase for Nova Scotian Student’s, leaving out-of-province and international students to cover the defect through unregulated tuition fee increases.
Now it is your turn
Tell Dalhousie University Budget Advisory Committee your thoughts on this year’s budget proposal. Complete this survey or email the Budget Advisory Commitee at BAC@dal.ca by February 21st, 2023
