Medicine Hat College votes through seven percent tuition increase

The decision comes amidst sweeping changes at the provincial level in terms of post-secondary funding, as the UCP government has cut back on a number of grants and reworked their plans for funding colleges and universities moving forward.

MHC president and CEO Kevin Shufflebotham said the tuition hike was the most logical way to make up some of that lost funding.

“There’s been a lot of changes with government in terms of funding,” said Shufflebotham. “We’re going to a new performance-based model, government is reducing our Campus Alberta grants. So, they’ve also given us a lever to make up for those grants by allowing us to raise tuition.”

The UCP lifted a provincial tuition freeze in October’s provincial budget, a freeze that had been in place since the NDP government took power in 2015.

Schools were able to raise tuition fees by seven percent in 2020-21, followed by the option to do the same over the following two years.

Both the University of Calgary and MacEwan University in Edmonton have already passed similar hikes, while many others such as the University of Alberta are looking at doing the same.

“Informally we’ve been consulting with other institutions and generally most are taking the seven percent,” said Shufflebotham.

There were no students at the open meeting on Tuesday aside from Dalton Ehry and Joshua Hirsch, who are sitting members on the board due to their involvement with the Students’ Association of Medicine Hat College.

Ehry, who serves as SAMHC president, said the vast majority students he spoke to were able to stomach the tuition hike if it meant keeping school services like mental health supports operating.

“We found that students were receptive to the increase as long as that stuff wasn’t taken away from them,” said Ehry.

The average first-year business administration student who had been paying $3,627 in annual tuition fees will now see that number grow by $253 per year.

However, MHC currently boasts the second-lowest tuition fees in south and central Alberta for that particular program beating out the University of Calgary, University of Lethbridge, Mount Royal University, SAIT, Olds College, Bow Valley College, and Lethbridge College.

The lone college to beat out MHC in that category was Red Deer College, however they charge more than twice the mandatory fees than their contemporaries down south.

“If every institution is going to increase that seven percent, then no institution is going to have an advantage over any other institution,” said Ehry. By us increasing it and still being the lowest, we still have a huge advantage over those other institutions.”

When it comes to the student base, Shufflebotham said it’s a difficult balancing act between keeping post-secondary schooling affordable and deal with a growing budget.

“Affordability and access is always our concern, every decision we make we put the student at the centre,” he said. “Other institutions will also be looking at tuition fee changes, so I think we’re right in line.”

Non-instructional service fees will also be climbing by 10 percent, which is used for various campus initiatives such as counselling and recreation.

According to both Shufflebotham and the SAMHC, most students have been understanding of their financial predicament through consultation sessions dating back to the fall.

Sandy Henderson, dean of student services and registrar, said cases of students feeling they won’t be able to return in the fall due to the hike have been rare.

“I haven’t heard too much of that sentiment at this point, our applications are looking very strong for the fall,” said Henderson. “We’re looking forward to welcoming new students on campus in the fall, it’s going to be a good year.”

However, he did say supports will be available through the college to help those who may be feeling the pinch with the rise in tuition costs.

“Scholarships, bursaries, we’re willing to work with students,” said Henderson. “We’ve put in a lot of student supports over the past few years that have really enhanced the student experience and we’re committed to continuing to do so.”

More hikes could possibly be on the horizon due to the province’s lifting of the tuition freeze and possible seven percent increases over each of the following two years.

With that in mind, Ehry said approving the hike for only the first year was a middle of the road solution for all parties involved.

“The strategy that we’re taking here is to not implement the seven, seven, seven immediately,” he said. “It’s to continue that consultation and keep talking about what the students are going to want year after year after year.”

Future talks will be had between the school and students as to what direction these potential tuition increases could take in the coming years.

“I think we have to start over again,” said Shufflebotham. “So, we’re going to be looking at what happens with our Campus Alberta grants, what happens with our budget, then we’ll be starting consultations with the students again next year.”

The approved tuition increase will take effect for students applying or returning to Medicine Hat College in the fall.

by Scott Roblin

Medicine Hat College votes through seven percent tuition increase

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