Province’s Bill 31 allows for 5% increases to tuition in 2018-19
U of M commits to continuing to work with government, students and other partners to offer best possible student experience
The University of Manitoba and other post-secondary institutions in the province heard news today of changes to tuition legislation, from Minister of Education and Training The Honourable Ian Wishart, which allow an increase of 5 per cent in addition to the Consumer Price Index (last year at 1.3 per cent).
The new tuition legislation was introduced by the Province as part of the Advanced Education Administration Amendment Act and comes into effect for the 2018-19 academic year.
“It is of critical importance that students in Manitoba have access to a post-secondary education at modern, well-equipped, nationally and internationally competitive institutions,” commented President and Vice-Chancellor David Barnard. “At the University of Manitoba we have maintained consistently that increasing tuition rates to bring them more in line with those at similar universities across Canada will help achieve this goal.”
To illustrate, the president pointed out that if the University of Manitoba applied the same tuition rates as the nearest research-intensive university, the University of Saskatchewan, last year’s budget would have increased by $43 million. Those additional funds would enable the University to provide access to more students with financial challenges through improved scholarships and bursaries, and at the same time enhance programming and facilities to meet ever-evolving student needs.
“Given that post-secondary tuition in Manitoba has been held at low rates for many years, increases in the order of 5 per cent could allow those students who have the means to pay to continue to find the cost affordable,” added President Barnard, “while those students with financial challenges could have access to increased scholarships and bursaries.”
Any flexibility enabled by the changes to tuition caps announced today will not, of course, be fully known until the Province has shared details of its upcoming budget on April 11, most notably as regards operating grants for post-secondary institutions.
“We look forward to continuing the conversation with government, students and other partners as important pieces of the overall fiscal picture come together over the coming year,” said President Barnard.