St. John’s – Memorial University has shocked students by dropping news of a plan to implement an unprecedented 37-57% increase in tuition fees for students from Newfoundland and Labrador, a move that was said to be unnecessary just a few years ago when out-of-province and international student fees jumped by 30%, and new ancillary fees were introduced.
“We are disheartened to see the results of several years of cuts, and thus confirmation of what we have feared, that government and the university have failed to meet Memorial’s special obligation to the people of the province – which is to provide a high-quality, accessible university,” said Liam O’Neill, incoming MUN Students’ Union Director of External Affairs.
“Years of successive provincial governments have opted to download education costs in favour of generational student debt to balance the books. History is repeating itself.” O’Neill noted, “We saw this in the 1990s when, over the decade, tuition at Memorial skyrocketed 100% in response to funding cuts from the provincial and federal governments.”
“The result was plummeting enrollment, increasing youth outmigration, and cancelled programming,” added O’Neill. “We do not need to relive this to learn that it does not work.”
MUNSU is committed to bringing the university and government together to forge a vision of how to realize the special obligation to the people of this province, a priority that has been neglected for too long.
MUNSU represents 13,000 undergraduate students at Memorial University of Newfoundland – St. John’s Campus.
Image Courtesy: MUNSU
For further information, please contact: Daniel Smith, Resource Coordinator, MUNSU, 709.864.7633 (O), 709.693.9133 (M) resource@munsu.ca
Update: “There is no proposal to raise tuition. The Integrated Planning COmmittee (IPC) of Senate, which includes student union representation, has delivered a report with a series o recommendations, some of which relate to tuition. The university has a budget framework committee which is responsible for developing a budget plan for Memorial for the next four years. We expect the work of the IPC with inform that important process.”
-Dave Sorensen, Manager (Communications), Memorial University of Newfoundland