DSU declares solidarity with KSU over proposed tuition hikes

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Dalhousie’s Student Union declared solidarity with the King’s Students’ Union in its fight against proposed tuition hikes at the University of King’s College.

The Dalhousie Student Union held a council meeting on Wednesday in Dalhousie’s Student Union Building. The motion expressing support for King’s students met with no resistance from council members.

The King’s Students’ Union had released a Report on Tuition Fees on Oct. 15. The 30-page document protested the proposed $1,000 tuition increase to the university’s Foundation Year Programme.

‘Blatant cash grab’

The document tabled at the meeting stated that Dalhousie and King’s pay some of the highest tuition fees in Canada for arts and humanities programs, “however a misguided liberal government and administration wants students to pay even more with so-called ‘market adjustments,’ a coded political term for massive tuition fee increases.”

“This is a blatant cash grab, placing the responsibility for balancing the university’s and provinces’ finances on the backs of first-year university students,” the motion stated.

“On so many levels this is a big problem,” said DSU Academic and External Vice-President John Hutton in the meeting.

He said that the $1,000 first-year tuition hike would only attract the richest students to King’s and not necessarily the brightest.

“King’s students are in many ways our classmates, our neighbours,” said Hutton.