The Signal Audio: Dalhousie Student Union president decries planned tuition hike
Madeleine Stinson says the hit will be even worse for international students
For some Dalhousie students, a proposed three per cent hike in tuition could be the difference between finishing a degree and dropping out, said DSU president Madeleine Stinson.
Dalhousie’s draft operating budget plan is recommending the a three per cent increase in tuition rates for domestic and international students. Stinson said the proposed increases would cause significant duress on the most financially insecure.
“There’s a really unnecessary expectation of students to just accept that they live in poverty,” she said. “(It) makes no sense to me because we don’t expect that of other people in different stages of their career.”
Stinson also said that international students stand to take the biggest hit. Along with the three per cent tuition hike, they will also be subject to a differential fee of more than $1,400. Stinson said the additional fees add even more barriers to these students.
“International students don’t qualify for the same funding that domestic students do,” she said. “They face additional barriers to securing housing, to financial security.”
Listen to the full interview with Madeleine Stinson conducted by the Signal’s Sarah Krymalowski.
