A proposed two per cent tuition increase at Northwest Community College has students demanding a freeze instead.
The increase is being proposed by college staff in a draft of next year’s budget, and has not yet been approved by the college board.
The proposed two per cent increase, which is the maximum allowed by the provincial government, would bring in $50,000, a figure students say is insignificant compared to the $1.1 million dollar deficit the college is currently facing.
But although the increase might be insignificant for the college, it is a lot for students who live on a tight budget.
Students made their plea to the college board at a meeting on March 25. They said that any additional costs would further block access to post secondary education here, as tuition more than doubled since 2001. They also cited inadequate loans and limited access to jobs in the area as barriers.
“University credit tuition fees at NWCC have gone from $1,129 for a full course load in 2001/2002 to over $2,600 today,” said NWCC student Laura Webb at the meeting.
The students presented the case of former NWCC student Kevin Paterson as an example of what kind of barriers students in the north are facing already.
Paterson, who they said was a passionate learner in the business administration program, dropped out of school last semester because he could no longer afford to go.
His parents were in a higher income bracket and he received only a fraction of the loan money he needed for school, which mostly covered the cost of his books. Paterson tried to get a job.
“I guess there’s not much work around,” he said in a phone interview. “I applied just about everywhere all year long and the only work that I was able to find was very part time labour with a friend of a friend.”
So he dropped most of his fall semester classes, but had to drop out this January.
“Currently I work part time at Safeway,” he said. “I do want full time but I just started.
“It was hard to find a job.”
Because of this, Webb said a lot of young people are moving from Terrace and the north to be educated elsewhere.
“Most of my friends are currently unemployed,” she said. “There’s only so many jobs at places like Tim Hortons.”
Adding to their frustrations, the students who presented at the meeting said B.C. has the highest student loan repayment interest in the country, and the lowest amount of forgivable debt.
They are also concerned that the college’s deficit is unfairly being transferred onto their shoulders.
The students asked the board to hold the province responsible for underfunding their education instead of raising tuition fees and making cuts to programs.
College board chair Rhoda Witherly said the board will decide what to do about tuition rates when it decides what to do with the budget itself at a meeting in early May.
“No matter what we do, we’re going to be in a deficit position,” she said of the $1.1 million shortfall facing the college when compared to the amount of money a two per cent tuition hike would raise.
Witherly added that to not raise tuition rates would be irresponsible as that would lead to massive jumps every five years or so simply to keep up.
“We don’t disagree with what the students are saying. But I don’t see any additional [government] funding coming our way,” Witherly added.