February 12, 2002
Contact: Bob Warick,
Phone (604) 864-4611
Fax: (604) 859-6653
E-mail: warick@ucfv.ca
UCFV to review tuition fee options
On February 11, Minister of Advanced Education Shirley Bond announced that the public post-secondary institutions, including the University College of the Fraser Valley, will now have the authority and responsibility to set their own tuition fees. Tuition fees have been frozen for the past six years.
"We have recognized for some time now that we will need to rely on tuition fee increases to help us to balance our budget for at least the next three years," says President Skip Bassford. "Although we know that fee increases will make it more difficult for many students, I am convinced that the Ministry made a wise decision in giving institutions the ability to set fees that make the most sense for their particular situation."
"We are facing a budget shortfall of almost $7 million over the next three years, just to maintain the same level of programs and services for our students. As well, we have high demand in most areas, and many students have had to cover the cost of staying at UCFV for extra semesters, because they could not get through their programs in a reasonable amount of time. These are all things we will have to take into account as we decide the best course of action regarding a new fee structure.
"At the same time I know that any increase in fees will make it a lot more difficult for some students. We will be looking for ways to assist these students."
Over the next few weeks administrators will consult with students, faculty, and staff, and the community to determine which key factors should be taken into account in deciding what the new fees will be.
Among these factors will be consideration of the level of demand for the program or service, the types of employment available for graduates, the need to maintain quality, special instructional requirements or delivery methods, the availability of programs at other institutions, and the kind of programs and services that best meet the needs of students and the communities in the UCFV region. UCFV will also be keeping an eye on what other post-secondary institutions decide about fees for their students.
UCFV tuition fees for a full-time student currently average approximately $1,400 per year. The provincial average for undergraduate programs is approximately $2,400 per year. The national average
is almost $4,000 per year.Over the past six years, UCFV fees were frozen at a substantially lower rate than at institutions such as BCIT or UBC, for essentially the same undergraduate degree programs.
The total UCFV budget is approximately $45 million per year. Of this 16% is paid by students through tuition fees. Another 16% is revenue generated by ancillary services and contracts such as food services, parking, the bookstore, and international education. The remaining 68% comes from the provincial government in the form of an annual operating grant.
A final decision about tuition fees at UCFV for next September will be made after the university college receives notice of its operating grant for the coming year. This is expected after the provincial budget is announced on February 19. UCFV senior administrators plan to make a preliminary recommendation about tuition fees to the UCFV Board of Governors sometime in March.
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