International Students need predictable tuition fees.

Students choose to come to Douglas College, just as they do to institutions all over Canada, to get a quality education. With no restrictions on their fees they’re becoming a resource to fill the budget gaps in our British Columbia post-secondary system – tuition up to 5 times more than domestic students. Our Fairness for International Students campaign lobbies the provincial government to provide stability for international students as well as the future of the BC post-secondary system.

International students at the September 2017 International Students’ Welcome Event.

Goals:

  • Establish provincial regulation of tuition fees for international students, including a freeze or cap on increases
  • Regulation or standardization of tuition fees at Douglas College
  • Increase awareness of the unique challenges facing international students, including predatory tuition fee models, insufficient student services and racsim on- and off-campus

Background

International students look to Canada for an opportunity to access one of the top ranked countries for higher education in the world. Unfortunately, Canada’s excellent reputation is being used by governments and institutions to recruit more and more international students to fill the gaps in funding with inflated and predatory tuition fees.

Unpredictable tuition fee increases for international students make it challenging to budget and contribute to student stress. This could force international students to drop out or seek education in other countries for more affordable education.

The federal and provincial governments rely on international education as a crucial export to boost their respective economies; it is clear that international students have a vast impact on the economy, but without regulation this is a highly unstable situation, which could collapse without warning.

British Columbia has been a top-level destination for international education, but significant risk exists to its current model. Regulation of international student tuition fees and a comprehensive international education strategy will better ensure stability and security in BC’s international student enrolment in the years to come. It is well within BC’s capacity to provide international education that is fair and supportive for students, and still generates substantial economic returns for the province as a whole.

UNREGULATED, UNPREDICTABLE, UNFAIR.

In BC, as in most of Canada, international tuition fees are unregulated and can increase at any time, with no notice. Domestic student tuition fee increases are capped at 2% annually under the BC government’s Tuition Fee Limit Policy. Meanwhile, tuition fees for international students in BC have increased by 64% since 2006.

Due to government underfunding, institutions have come to depend on the revenue they receive from increasing fees for international students. However, unpredictable fees make budgeting impossible, meaning some international students are forced to leave Canada before completing their studies.

IT IS TIME FOR FAIRNESS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

 

We are calling on the BC government to amend the Tuition Fee Limit Policy to include the regulation of fees for international students. This would create fairness, consistency, and predictability for international student tuition fees.

Working together with the British Columbia Federation of Students, we published a comprehensive research document about international students in British Columbia. The document explores the history of international education in the province, the current reality of funding and fees, and the pitfalls of the province’s current strategy (or lack thereof) on international student recruitment.

Progress 10%

Add your signature!

Join us in calling on the BC government to amend the Tuition Fee Limit Policy to include the regulation of fees for international students and create fairness, consistency, and predictability for international student tuition fees.

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