Emily Carr students call on B.C. to increase funding for international students, cap fees
Students at Vancouver’s Emily Carr University are staging a walkout and rally Thursday over a proposed 30 per cent tuition hike for international students.
Dec. 1 is also when the university’s board of governors is scheduled to make its final decision on the fee increases. Organizers of the student protest says the hike would bring Emily Carr an additional $1.8 million in annual revenue while adding $5,941 more to each student’s tuition.
“We are calling on the B.C. government to intervene immediately to pause this cash grab, and invest in Emily Carr University,” Kashish Hukku Jani, a fourth-year, international student at Emily Carr, said in a press release Tuesday. “We need to stop financing university deficits from our most marginalized members. Enough is enough.”
In a notice sent out to students on Nov. 25, Emily Carr laid out several proposed tuition fees, the largest being a 30 per cent hike for international undergraduate students.
Returning international undergrads could face a 10 per cent increase, while incoming international graduate students may pay an extra 5 per cent. A two per cent increase is planned for domestic undergraduate students in 2023.
Before students were set to walk out at 11 a.m., Jani told CTV news she was expecting hundreds of people to participate, and that a few instructors had adjusted their classes so more students could rally. She also said she anticipated the board of governors will vote in favour of the tuition increase later Thursday.
“The fact is , the university is in deficit, we have a really high debt at that. But we need to keep urging the ministry to step in and put a cap on international student fees and increase funding for international students overall,” said Jani.
On its website, Emily Carr notes its tuition is among the most affordable in Canada” and “lower than that of OCAD University, NSCAD University, University of British Columbia and University of Toronto.”
Since international students pay taxes and are expected to help with the national labour shortage, Jani argues they should have the same access to education that leads to those jobs.
Right now, she pays roughly $20,000 in annual tuition as a full time students. Her roommates, who are both domestic students, pay about 20 per cent of what Jani does.
“We’re all living through Vancouver’s inflation and skyrocketing prices.”
CTV News has reached out to the Ministry of Advanced Education for comment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.