Tuition increase one hardship too many, says student union

The University of Prince Edward Island Board of Governors voted Tuesday evening to increase general tuition by four per cent next year, with the two representatives of the student union on the board voting against.

Tuition at the Atlantic Veterinary College will go up six per cent.

Camille Mady, president of the UPEI Student Union, said that given all that students have been dealing with in the last year, a tuition increase was too much to ask.

"The labour disruption, the inflation, the housing crisis, all the issues that are surrounding financial aid for students, especially international students, it would not be correct to vote for the tuition increase," said Mady.

"I understand the reasons for the increase, as inflation is affecting all aspects of living, but for the students I believe limiting tuition increase would be the best possible outcome."

UPEI interim president Greg Keefe said tuition at the university will still be about 25 per cent below the regional average.

"We're facing inflationary pressures like everyone else in our society.," said Keefe.

"We've got obligations under our new collective agreements, we've got inflation in other areas, like utilities costs and so forth. We've tried to balance the increase to students with other revenues at the university, and tried to maintain as low an increase as we possibly could."

Some student fees will go up more than 4 per cent.

Lab fees will rise from $75 to $100 per course. The information technology fee will double, from $50 to $100 dollars per year.