Opinion letter trivalizes tuition concerns -
UPEI Student Union President

By J.R. Gough
The Surveyor

Recent comments regarding UPEI's tuition situation are unacceptable, says the school's Student President.

B.J. McCarville is upset about the university's tentative budget for the school year, and about the way UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan "downplayed" the burden students face in a letter headlining the Feb. 19 Guardian guest opinion page, the first official day of spring break.

MacLauchlan addressed student's concerns by putting the issue of tuition levels into what he calls "a broader context."

UPEI students will see a tuition increase of four to six per cent; $20 per course, or $200 per full-time student,. This would impact the school's budget by approximately $450,000.

However, he said UPEI hasn't increased tuition levels along with the rest of Canada and the Atlantic region.

Since 1991, UPEI has had the third lowest rate of increase in the Atlantic provinces.

He said the rate increase is a result of damage repair, after strict funding throughout the past decade.

McCarville said it might be true UPEI has one of the lowest increases, but they still don't stand anywhere near the lowest tuition rates in the country.

She said UPEI is far behind many post-secondary institutions such as BC, Quebec and Newfoundland, and still higher than schools in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick.

"There is no reason for P.E.I. to follow suit because these other universities are overcharging," she adds.

Only three universities in Atlantic Canada have lower tuition rates than UPEI, and of the 17, levels can be up to 25 to 50 per cent higher.

Education Minister Jeff Lantz responded to concerns brought foward during Freeze Day, a student rally held on the streets of Charlottetown, Feb. 14, protesting high tuition rates.

He said government is committed to increasing UPEI's operating budget by $1 million for the coming year as the second step of a three-year funding plan by the province.

McCarville says students are getting their money's worth, but thinks the opinion piece "trivializes" the burden of getting a post-secondary education.

"I think UPEI is a quality university, but I think there is need across the country to address the accessability situation being compromised with high costs," McCarville said.

MacLauchlan said the 'real cost of spending' isn't as bad as it's made out to be.

UPEI third and fourth year students received a rebate of $600 on their tuition, a 15 per cent drop.

McCarville says the opinion piece fails to mention the rebate benefits only a select number of students who qualify.

Through the Millennium Scholarships Program, MacLaughlan said a comparison of studying at UPEI and going to school off-Island indicates Island students pay more to go to school away than they do to stay on P.E.I.

However, McCarville said people who don't live at home and have the additional living expenses are obviosuly going to owe more money.

"The students who did receive millennium scholarships are students who are studying on P.E.I. from away, so they received them through loan programs in other provinces," she said.

MacLauchlan said the tentative budget was taken to the board of governors and brought to senate, with student representation from both bodies last January.

McCarville said senate was held during exams when most students weren't present.

She says the budget should have been presented when students were available.

"I realize it's a huge task to do this presentation," she says. "But if it's something both himself and students are supportive of, and he took the time to mention it in the newspaper, it should be realized no students were present at the senate meeting when (rate increases) went through."

Overall, McCarville says the continuous struggle address concerns was underplayed by UPEI's president.
"This entire piece shows we haven't really been listened to. It totally neglects student debt loans upon graduation, under employment upon graduation and federal transfer dollars," McCarville says.

"I'm sure (MacLauchlan) gets the point but this main opinion piece from the head of this university totally disregards a lot of what are concerns actually were. It gives an 'everybody else is doing it excuse', and I don't find it acceptable."

McCarville said the student body pursues tuition fees on a continuous basis, and will soon be meeting with Education Minister Jeff Lantz and Finance Minister Pat Mella.