U of A student leaders decry proposal to hike international student tuition by 10% in 2026

Student leaders at the University of Alberta are criticizing the school's plan to hike tuition — particularly for international students.

University administrators shared their proposals for upcoming tuition increases with student councils this week, as part of a months-long engagement process.

The university plans to increase tuition for Canadian students by two per cent next year and 10 per cent for international students in 2026.

"The university should focus on some other revenues, rather than increasing tuition fees," Ramish Raza, co-president of the International Student Association, told CBC News. 

University officials met with the International Students Association at a council meeting Friday night to discuss the tuition proposals.

"At this point, this is just exploitation of international students," Raza said.

In 2019, the United Conservative Party government announced cuts to post-secondary grants and ended a five-year tuition freeze.

Domestic U of A students have seen their tuition rise every year since. Students in certain programs saw "exceptional" tuition increases.

Tuition fees for international students have also been rising in recent years.

Last year, the provincial government capped tuition increases at two per cent, but it only applies to Canadian students. International students, however, must be made aware of the tuition they will pay for the duration of their programs.

In a statement to CBC News, Varun Chandrasekar, press secretary for Advanced Education Minister Rajan Sawhney, said the Alberta government is committed to making sure post-secondary education is accessible and affordable. He pointed to two per cent cap and rejection of applications for exceptional tuition increases this academic year as examples.

The domestic cap also aligns with other provinces, like B.C., Chandrasekar added.

Alberta offers "a wide range" of student aid programs, such as loans, bursaries and scholarships, which can be spent on tuition, Chandrasekar said.

The provincial government did not directly address the proposed 10 per cent hike targeting international students.

"These are concerning numbers," said Haseeb Arshad, president of the Graduate Students' Association and a third-year PhD student in electrical and computer engineering. 

Arshad, an international student from Pakistan, said the association surveyed graduate students last year about their financial realities. Of those surveyed, he said, 40 per cent said they had thought about dropping out of school because of inflationary pressures.

One such student, at the time, had resorted to donating their blood plasma to make ends meet, he recalled.

University administration recognizes students are facing financial strain, but so is the university, U of A spokesperson Michael Brown told CBC News in an emailed statement.

Like other economic sectors, the university is paying higher costs on "everything from materials to utilities," he said.

Tuition increases, Brown said, help the school provide high-quality learning and research opportunities, and ensure graduates can be competitive and leaders in their fields. A percentage of tuition also goes to student financial supports.

During a presentation this week to the Graduate Students' Association, Melissa Padfield, the deputy provost of students and enrolment, said the bulk of tuition revenue goes toward salaries and benefits, but also support maintenance, utilities, research support and library services.

Students do understand the financial pressures the university faces as well, and the University of Alberta Students' Union has been lobbying the province to increase the U of A's operating grant, said Abdul Abbasi, the union's vice-president external and a fourth-year criminology student.

Tuition increases for international students are understandable, Abbasi said, but "having a 10 per cent increase is absurd."

Higher tuition could deter international students from coming to the university and Alberta could lose out on top talent as a result, he said.

Prometheus Voaklander, a part-time open studies student, protested rising tuition in the students' union building Thursday. He mostly blames the provincial government for cutting the university's funding, but the school has some responsibility as well, he said.

"They could be having better management of their finances to better cover for staff wages and staffing numbers," he said.

In the wake of the federal government limiting international student permits, the province announced earlier this month that a panel, chaired by economist Jack Mintz, would examine post-secondary funding in Alberta. 

Tuition consultations run through the fall and winter. Any increases must be approved by the school's board of governors.