A two-per cent tuition fee increase for Canadian students is among the items in Vancouver Island University’s 2016-17 budget.
The university’s board of governors approved a $139.3-million balanced consolidated budget on March 24.
Tuition is a major revenue source and a domestic student in credit-based undergraduate programs taking 30 credits in two semesters, tuition will amount to $4,260 in the 2016-17 year, according to the university. Tuition, together with student fees, are expected to produce $58 million in revenue.
Vancouver Island University Students’ Union expressed displeasure with the raise, especially when it is combined with a newly instituted $6.27 per credit student services fee, which will go toward offering students access to computers and health and wellness services.
Patrick Barbosa, union spokesman, said it actually amounts to a 6.5-per cent increase for students. The new services fee and tuition must be paid and go to the same place, much like GST and income taxes.
Ralph Nilson, university president, disagreed and said the two are separate.
“My comments on the new student fee, they’re not built into this budget ... those are not included because those are net-zero. Those are new fees for new services and we’ll be tracking those all year long,” Nilson said.
A recommendation for international student tuition increases will come in September, Nilson said.
In terms of the major expenses, the university will spend more than $100 million on staff salaries and benefits in 2016-17, something Nilson and Barbosa have no problems with.
“That’s where we want to spend money,” said Nilson. “We want to have high-quality faculty and staff and to do that we need to invest in them.”
“Salaries and benefits are negotiated through the collective agreement ... we support the right of workers to fair collective bargaining processes and so whatever happens there is what it is,” said Barbosa.
The university’s fiscal year runs April 1 to March 31. For more, please go to www2.viu.ca/budget/BudgetPlan2016-2017.asp.