As McMaster University shows support for the blue-ribbon panel’s proposal for a tuition increase, student's may find themselves having to pay more in 2024/2025

In Ontario, many universities are currently experiencing financial deficits. Most recently, Queen’s University hired external Nous Group to manage its ongoing financial situation, which has resulted in a hiring freeze at the university. A contributing factor to these ongoing financial crises is the Ontario government's 2019 tuition freeze and 10 per cent reduction in tuition fees.

The Ontario government formed a blue-ribbon panel in March 2023 to address the root cause of these financial deficits. This panel has engaged in consultations with several stakeholders, including Canadian Federation of Students and Ontario and College Student Alliance. They collected in written submissions from groups in Ontario. In combination of discussion with stakeholders and written submissions formulated a report that proposed solutions for both universities and the Ontario government.

One of the solutions for the ongoing financial deficits suggested by the blue-ribbon panel was to remove the tuition freeze and increase undergraduate tuition by five per cent for the 2024/2025 academic year. They also suggested an increase per year, which would either be by two per cent per year or the percentage increase of the consumer price index. In Canada, the consumer price index is meant to look at how prices for goods change over a designated period of time. As of January 2024 the current percentage difference of the consumer price index is 2.9 per cent.

At McMaster University, the standard course load for a full-time student is 15 units per semester or 30 units per academic year. Tuition for an Ontario-resident third-year sciences student is approximately $5,955.30, not including additional faculty fees or student union fees. If the 5 per cent tuition increase were implemented, these students would pay $6,253.07 by their fourth year.

Similarly, Ontario-resident second-year engineering students currently pay $12,109.68 in tuition, which would increase to $12,715.16 by their fourth year. 

McMaster Students Union president Jovan Popovic stated the MSU stands firmly against a tuition increase. He added that the initial tuition freeze in 2019 has been valuable for many students struggling to afford basic necessities.

“We are in a time of an affordability crisis, where it's become increasingly difficult for students to live with all the costs surrounding them. Whether that be food, transportation, just cost of living in terms of housing, leases rent, it's become so increasingly challenging that having at least one thing going for them with the tuition freeze is a serious help,” said Popovic. 

We are in a time of an affordability crisis, where it's become increasingly difficult for students to live with all the costs surrounding them. Whether that be food, transportation, just cost of living in terms of housing, leases rent, it's become so increasingly challenging that having at least one thing going for them with the tuition freeze is a serious help.

Jovan Popovic, President, McMaster Students Union

McMaster University provided the Silhouette with a written statement in which they expressed that a tuition increase is important, though they hope that the government will simultaneously increase financial aid, to ensure sustainability for students.

“A modest increase to tuition, accompanied by increases to student financial aid, would help strengthen universities’ ability to continue setting aside funds to support student success,” said McMaster University, in a written statement to the Silhouette.

On Jan. 31, the government of Ontario spoke at a press conference to the recommendations for tuition increase and explained that while domestic in-province students will not experience an increase in tuition, domestic out-of-province students could experience upwards of a five per cent tuition increase.

Popovic believed that ultimately students shouldn't suffer as a result of the financial deficits of the institution. He shared that these gaps in funding should be supplemented by the government of Ontario.

“We support more funding for universities. We just don't support it coming at the stake of students who can hardly afford to live,” said Popovic.

We support more funding for universities. We just don't support it coming at the stake of students who can hardly afford to live.

Jovan Popovic, President, McMaster Students Union

Abigail Samuels, MSU vice-president (education) and Malika Dhanani, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance’s executive director, shared similar sentiments to Popovic. They stated that this pattern of underfunding within the university goes back almost a decade and has been further exacerbated amid tuition freezes. However, they also noted that the problem is rooted in the fact the government hasn’t increased funding for Ontario universities in that time

“The pattern of underfunding from provincial brands has been very prevalent throughout the years. Then what kind of exacerbated the issue was the fact that tuition was cut. . .without the gap in funding being supplemented through provincial grants, it has limited the amount of revenue that institutions are getting for their operating revenue,” said Dhanani.

The pattern of underfunding from provincial brands has been very prevalent throughout the years. Then what kind of exacerbated the issue was the fact that tuition was cut.

Malika Dhanani, executive director, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance

The government of Ontario recently announced that they will be providing over $1 billion to funding for Ontario universities. From that, $900 million will be pooled into an education sustainability fund.

The Council of Ontario Universities responded to this announcement stating that even though they appreciate the funding, they still encourage the government of Ontario to consider the full extent of the blue-ribbon panel’s recommendation for government-based funding. The recommendation they are referring to is a 10 per cent increase to the current government-based funding, with the same opportunity for growth as the student tuition growth.

Prior to the government's funding announcement, Samuels and Dhanani expressed the urgency of securing adequate funding for universities from the government of Ontario. When universities begin to experience these financial deficits, programs begin the suffer. This includes mental health resources and accessibility services. Samuels commented on the importance of understanding that the lack of government funding has ripple effects that will directly impact students. Samuels and Dhanani expressed that they hope the government of Ontario reflects on the recommendations shared by many of the stakeholders. 

"When we think about the impacts of limited provincial funding, we have to think about the actual well-being, and health impacts it has on students and what that does to them for in the future... I think the idea of increased sector funding always trickles down to ethe unintended adverse impacts we don't necessarily think of, but that have real consequences for students," said Samuels.

I think the idea of increased sector funding always trickles down to ethe unintended adverse impacts we don't necessarily think of, but that have real consequences for students.

Abigail Samuels, vice-president (education), McMaster Students Union

In summary, the MSU and OUSA stand against the tuition increase and urge for more government-based funding to support universities. This is an ongoing story.

C/O Travis Ngyuyen

Vaccines, distance learning and living continents away present unique challenges to international students

It should come as no surprise that international students studying in Canada have faced unimaginable barriers. 

Perhaps the most visible of all is the 6.9 billion dollars of revenue earned by Canadian post-secondary institutions in 2018, a 360 per cent increase from 2007. The source of this ballooning revenue is none other than the near $40,000 difference in the tuition paid by international students, when compared to domestic students. 

Despite our long-standing knowledge of these challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has only materialized into a steeper financial and psychological climb for international students. With McMaster University’s recent announcement of resuming in-person classes in the winter semester, it’s important to take a step back and fully internalize its impact on the international student population. 

Kimia Tahaei, an Opinions Staff Writer at the Silhouette and McMaster student who has lived in Iran for the past six years, expressed her concerns about re-adjusting socially in the winter semester.

“I’m in a small program of 80 or 90 people and I’m the only person in that program who hasn’t participated in the one or two in-person classes they had this fall. Being in a whole other continent, it’s almost inevitable that I feel left out and that worries me going into next semester,” said Tahaei.

Clearly, the pandemic brought forth a sense of isolation that persisted even while most classes took place online. While it can seem that the return to in-person learning is the ultimate solution to this problem, that may not be the case.

Robin Barala is an executive for the McMaster International & Exchange Club, which fosters connections between international students and planned sightseeing trips, who detailed the difficulties international students will face once they arrive in Canada.  

“For international students who may not be vaccinated with a Canada-approved vaccine, they’ll have to quarantine for almost the entirety of the winter break. It’s going to be even more tough if they don’t know anyone here, which is the case for a lot of them right now,” said Barala.

While Canada has expanded the list of approved COVID-19 vaccines to include Sinopharm, Sinovac and COVAXIN, barriers still exist for those who received vaccinations such as Sputnik which were offered in many countries, including India

Although international students remain exempt from vaccine entry requirements, this exemption ends on Jan. 15, 2022, after which an approved vaccine will be mandatory

“While I was lucky enough to get AstraZeneca, which is approved in Canada, I just got the first vaccine I could get. A lot of people in Iran got the Sputnik vaccine so I don’t know what other Iranian students will do when they have to go back to Canada,” said Tahaei.

Ultimately, the return to in-person will inevitably bring about both positive and negative experiences for international students. While it may breed opportunities for socialization, hesitations about mixing vaccines, finding housing and reaching out to university-provided services may be unsurprising effects of the rapid geographical and cultural changes that come with a mandatory in-person semester. 

Barala further expressed that the culture shock that many other international students face often make them more likely to reach out to informal groups at Mac, such as the McMaster Indian Association, before being directed to more formal services like International Student Services.

When asked about this phenomenon, team members at International Student Services — a division of Mac’s Student Success Centre — responded that they were well-aware of the many avenues available to international students and recognize the importance of authentic peer-to-peer connections.

“The important role we play as professionals is reaching out to these clubs so that they are aware of all of the services we provide to international students. When it comes time to give that referral, they know exactly where to refer the student to,” explained Gisela Oliviera, Associate Director at the SSC. 

While it may be easy to paint the university with a wide brush – given the immense difficulties expressed by both international and domestic students with respect to housing, socialization and mental health – progress has been made by International Student Services. 

iCent, an application that sends out exclusive information from the SSC, is just one intervention that supports international students in their journey as McMaster students.

The movement back to in-person learning this winter is an unprecedented change for all of us. It’s incredibly important for the university to be cognizant of what exactly this means for students that may have never lived in Canada before, received an unapproved vaccine or have not yet had the chance to meet any of their peers. 

There’s no doubt that there have been steps made towards increased cognizance — with the strategies introduced by the SSC — but those strides need to be so much larger to truly accommodate the unique uncertainties faced by international students and foster the connections that they need right now. 

However, being cognizant alone isn’t enough.

International Mac students deserve a university that takes on the responsibility of advocating for them, rather than turning a blind eye to “off-campus” issues such as housing, budgeting, loneliness and unique hesitancies surrounding vaccines. 

Our expectations of what international students are responsible for has to ultimately change, taking into consideration the extenuating circumstances of a pandemic and its snowball effects on mental health, among other concerns. 

It’s no longer the time for recognition — it’s time for action.

Subscribe to our Mailing List

© 2024 The Silhouette. All Rights Reserved. McMaster University's Student Newspaper.
magnifiercrossmenu