Tuition freeze

First-year law student Lazina Khan and fourth-year commerce student Katie Edwards take a study break. (Abriel photo)

As expected, in its 2007-2008 budget, the Nova Scotia government anted up enough money to freeze tuitions for most students at the provinceÕs universities, and lower fees for Nova Scotians studying in the province.

What was less clear on budget day was whether there would be enough provincial money to freeze tuition for medical, law, dental and international students.

ÒWe will have to wait and see,” said Dalhousie President Tom Traves, when asked whether the funding increase would be sufficient to offset all tuition increases. He expects to see funding details specific to Dalhousie in early April or before.

Dalhousie Student Union (DSU) President Ezra Edelstein welcomed the tuition freeze, but was less supportive of the tuition reduction being limited to Nova Scotia residents.

ÒItÕs great to see essentially a freeze for all students. We would have preferred to see a tuition reduction apply generally rather than the $500 reduction for Nova Scotia students. WeÕre generally not in favour of any differential fees, regardless of how you present them.”

The budget speech isnÕt the place to look for greater clarity. Noting the province will increase total funding to universities by $22.9 million this year, Finance Minister Michael Baker said $12.5 million of that Òwill be used to offset the 3.9 per cent tuition increase scheduled for 2007-2008. This will result in a tuition freeze at September 2006 levels for most Canadian students and an equivalent reduction in tuition rate increases for medical, dental, law and international students.”

The entire increase in provincial funding levels is to be used to hold the line on, or reduce, tuition rates.

The government repeated its promise to bring tuition Òin line with the national average” by 2010, but doesnÕt seem to anticipate much support from Ottawa in meeting that target.
Earlier in his speech, the finance minister said the federal government failed in its effort to fix the so-called fiscal imbalance, and in the process actually widened the gap between rich and poorer provinces.

The best example of this, he said, is the Canada Social Transfer (CST) whereby Ottawa transfers funds to provinces for social services, child care and post-secondary education. Next year Ottawa plans to increase CST funding for post-secondary education by $800 million, Òbut Nova Scotia will see only $6 million more.”

The provincial budget promises other measures to help students finance their education, including lower interest on loans when the province assumes direct funding control over the Nova Scotia Student Loan Program; a new student loan repayment assistance program whereby graduates in financial trouble can reduce their loan payments; and a needs-based grant program to help students from low-income families pay for their second, third, fourth or fifth year of studies.

The graduate tax credit available to post-secondary grads who stay and work in Nova Scotia was increased from $1,000 to $2,000.

The 2007-2008 school year is the third and final year of an agreement between the province and universities, which held tuition increases for undergraduate students to 3.9 per cent annually. Graduate, professional school and international students were not included in that program, and have seen tuition and differential rates increase by more than 3.9 per cent in recent years.

For the coming year, DalhousieÕs budget advisory committee had estimated the university needed increases of 5.9, 7.9 and 9.9 for law, medicine and dentistry respectively, and a 12.6 per cent increase for international students. The budget says funding will be sufficient to reduce fees for professional school students and international students by 3.9 per cent, leaving potential increases in the area of two to nine per cent for those students. Education department officials, however, maintain that funding will be provided to freeze tuition rates for those students, as well.

With the conclusion of the three-year agreement with the province, Dr. Traves is already looking forward to a new deal, one that he says should be about the quality of education.

ÒTight budgets and low funding levels have forced a lot of sacrifice and compromise on students and universities. We have compromised mostly on maintenance and facilities. Given increased funding, we look forward to addressing facilities and maintenance issues with government the year ahead.”