Tuition revenue comprises 23 per cent of the university's operating budget and helps to fund priorities including recruiting and retaining high-quality faculty, and enhancing student services to ensure quality educational experiences, and provides scholarships and bursaries to increase accessibility and affordability for students.
"We have not and will not set tuition rates to balance the budget," said Board of Governors Chair Susan Milburn. "We will continue to adhere to our tuition rate-setting principles of comparability to peer institutions, affordability and accessibility, and enabling quality even in difficult financial times. University of Saskatchewan students will continue to pay some of the lowest tuition rates for comparable programs in Canada, despite financial challenges faced by the university."
Tuition increases vary by program, but most programs will see an increase of 4.6 per cent or less, including arts, science, education, agriculture and bioresources, kinesiology, business and graduate studies. The approved undergraduate tuition rate changes for specific programs range from 0 per cent to 7.5 per cent for domestic students, with the exception of law, which will see a 15 per cent increase in an effort to bring the rate closer to the median of peer institutions.
Tuition costs at the U of S, even after the increase, are projected to be lower than the median of similar programs at other universities in Canada, with the exception of dentistry. Average rates in the College of Arts and Science will increase 4.19 per cent and are projected to be 14 per cent below the median.
"These rate increases are comparable to previous years," explained Brett Fairbairn, provost and vice-president academic, "and will allow colleges to continue to provide high-quality educational opportunities for our students, including experiential learning and community outreach. The increases also support financial aid, student advising, curriculum innovation and student counseling that ensures student success."
New tuition revenue (a combination of the new rates and expected enrolment increases) is projected at $6 million in 2013-14.
The balance of the university's operating revenue comes largely from the Province of Saskatchewan, along with interprovincial funding, investment and other sources. The university's 2013-14 operating budget will be announced in mid-May.
For more information on tuition at the U of S, including a factsheet and the 2013-14 rates, visit www.usask.ca/tuition.
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For more information, contact:
Jennifer Robertson
Communications Officer
Institutional Planning and Assessment
(306) 966-7815
jennifer.robertson@usask.ca
University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors announces 2013-14 tuition rates
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 14, 2013 2013-03-19-ADMN Saskatoon - The University of Saskatchewan's Board of Governors has approved tuition increases averaging 4.5 per cent for the 2013-14 academic year.