ST..JOHNS (CBC) - Memorial University has decided not to raise tuition fees for international students, acting university president Eddy Campbell said Friday.

Non-Canadian students currently pay $850 per course, while Canadian students pay $255 per course.

In early July the university's administration proposed an additional 10 per cent tuition hike for non-Canadian students. The idea met much opposition from the university community, including from the Canadian Federation of Students.

Acting university president Eddy Campbell said the extra money was earmarked for programs to help improve services for international students, such as courses in English as a second language.

"I would like to see them doing better at Memorial," Campbell said of the international student community. "One of the problems we have now is they're not succeeding in the kind of proportion we would like, and we're not retaining them. They're an important group of students for us, they bring us much diversity and enrichment to our campus, and we need to look after them better."

Campbell told CBC News that Memorial University will continue to work with student groups and the provincial government to find a way to provide more services without raising tuition.

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