The Tuition Issue

New Brunswick has one of the highest tuition rates in Canada. The increasing cost of education is a burden on students and prevents some from accessing University at all. Despite a tuition freeze, effective tuition has continued to rise as UNB adds mandatory fees (such as the $50 health fee approved last year).

While it is primarily the VP External's position to lobby the federal and provincial government for lower tuition, there is a place for lobbying the University as well. As VP Internal I will advocate at the University level for lower tuition fees for both domestic and international students.

The cost of tuition is such that it is prohibitive to some perspective students and a continuing burden, in the form of debt, to graduates. I want to see a decrease in the cost of tuition, and not simply a tuition freeze with increasing ancillary fees. I think if we refuse to accept that this is the way it has to be, students can be a powerful force against rising tuition costs.