St. Thomas University is increasing the price of tuition again, completing the university’s five-year plan to bring STU’s tuition costs closer to the provincial average.
The university announced in May that tuition costs would rise for the upcoming academic year. The changes hiked domestic tuition fees up by 5.8 per cent, or $367. For international students, a 5.5 per cent increase raised costs by $756.
STU now charges $6,643 for domestic students and $14,503 for international students. When the plan began in the 2013-14 year, STU charged $5,195 for domestic students.
“From what I’ve heard from other international students, it actually did affect them quite a bit because, as international students already, it’s more expensive than Canadian students,” said Wasiimah Joomun, an international student at STU.
The increase still came as a surprise to some students when they went to pay.
“It did seem more expensive when I was paying, I wasn’t really sure what was going on,” said Celeste Wikkerink, a fourth-year student.
The changes were decided in a budget town hall in March. The increase was the final stage of a five-year plan with the government of New Brunswick to raise tuition fees towards the provincial average.
The average tuition cost of New Brunswick universities in 2017-18 is $6,833 for domestic students and $14, 927 for international students.
In addition to the hiked tuition prices, fees for technology and facilities increased by $100 to $150, while other student fees were unchanged. A $500 practicum fee was also introduced for social work and education students.
Residences and meal plans also saw changes in costs. Residence fees increased by two per cent, and rooms in newly renovated Harrington Hall now cost the same as rooms in Chatham Hall. Meal plan costs increased by 2.5 per cent due to increased costs for food and labour.
The changes were made as a solution to budget deficits and revenue issues.
