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
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
Air Canada ranks near bottom on customer satisfaction: survey
Air Canada ranks below most other major North American airlines on customer satisfaction, with airfares a particular sore point, according to a new survey.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.