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| DSU president Mike Tipping: "I would say it's a historic budget." |
Dalhousie students are delighted with this cold snap Ñ The Board of Governors has frozen next yearÕs tuition at current rates for all professional, graduate and undergraduate programs at the university.
In addition, in agreement with the province, Nova Scotian students attending the university in the fall will see a further tuition reduction.
ÒI would say itÕs a historic budget,” says Mike Tipping, DSU president. ÒItÕs starting to address the very real problems of access and debt load faced by students at this university. I look forward to similar and better budgets over the next few years.”
Depending on the program, Canadian undergraduate students will pay just over $6,000 for a full course load, the same as last year. Nova Scotian students get even more of a break: theyÕll receive a $500 rebate from the provincial government.
ÒItÕs where we have go,” says Shannon Zimmerman, incoming student representative on the Board of Governors and a third-year political science student. ÒNova Scotians are more and more restless about paying the highest tuition in Canada, so it was about time Dalhousie and the government did something about it.”
ÒThank goodness itÕs not going any higher,” says Charlene Holland, a third-year nursing student. ÒIÕm already looking at $40,000 in debt and IÕve got one more year to go.”
The freeze doesnÕt apply to everyone. An $810 differential fee increase goes ahead for international undergraduates and non-thesis international graduate students.
ÒItÕs the third time in three years that itÕs gone up,” says Mr. Tipping, an international student from Maine. ÒBut IÕm encouraged by the motion (an amendment to the Board of Governors) that this would be the last increase until a report is done to see what the affect is on international students and if international student recruitment is affected.”
Engineering student Rachael Schwartz is concerned about her friends who come to Dalhousie from around the world.
ÒItÕs amazing how much more they pay. And given that theyÕve got their living expenses to contend with too, I think they should be given more of a break.”