The Problem:

International student tuition fees are entirely unregulated in BC, meaning institutions can increase tuition by any amount, at any time. The lack of regulation creates an inability for international students to adequately budget for their education.

These increases happen to cover the institution from any shortfalls they are having from stagnant government funding and domestic student tuition fees.

The Impact:

In December 2022, Emily Carr University of Art and Design announced a 30% increase in tuition fees for incoming international students and a 10% increase for current international students.

When questioned in the media about the massive increase, the university responded that due to the University Act, there was a requirement to table a balance budget:

“The tuition increase is required for the university to continue providing a quality education for students today and into the future”.  

This sadly happens across the province, in fact, we have heard institutional administrators even refer to international students as “revenue generating units”.

Paying More than Their Fair Share

The disparity between fees paid by international and domestic students is huge: while international students make up approximately 20% of overall enrolment in BC universities, their fees make up 48% of tuition fee revenues.

International students pay more tuition fees than all domestic students combined at ten of the twelve BC institutions we reviewed. At 3 of the 12 universities looked at, tuition fees (domestic and international) made up more of the institution’s revenue than the operating grant provided by the province.

The Economic Benefit of International Students in Canada

Regulating international student fees is not just about keeping education affordable for all students, but also about recognizing the richness international students bring to our campuses and surrounding communities.

These students pay vast sums into the local economies across BC on such staples as housing, food, transportation, and entertainment. Fairness and predictability for international students is necessary to ensure B.C. remains a desirable destination to study for students from around the world and to create equity for all learners studying in the province.

The Solution:

The BC government must act now by:

• capping international student tuition fee increases at 2% annually.

• investing $500 million, annually, to the province’s public post-secondary institutes’ operational funding.