In Jeffrey Schulman’s recent piece in The Varsity (“International student fees ought to stay competitive,” November 4, 2013) he made some statements that were ill-informed. As an international student, I am compelled to respond.
We often hear this argument: international students don’t pay taxes so they should not benefit from public funding. But international students do pay taxes and contribute to the economy. According to the federal government, international students contribute approximately $3 billion to the Ontario economy by working and paying income tax and sales taxes. Seventy per cent of us stay in Canada and continue to contribute to the economy after completing school.
JENNIFER SU/THE VARSITY
In the early 1990s, tuition fees for domestic students and international students were equal, and international students were covered by Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). We are now paying three times more than domestic students in tuition fees, and those benefits have been taken away from us, even though our peers in other provinces still receive medicare. We are required to pay into the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP), which is provided by a private, for-profit insurance company. Not every clinic or hospital even recognizes uhip. Imagine being an international student who requires immediate medical assistance and the closest accessible clinic requires you to pay out of pocket. If you do not have enough money, this experience can be truly terrifying and costly.
Recently, the Ontario government imposed a $750 fee to universities for each international student, which was transferred to us in the form of tuition fees. Since our fees are deregulated, institutions can increase international tuition fees as much as they want in any given year.
Treating international students as cash cows to increase revenues is short-sighted. It is not sustainable to expect international students’ fees to make up for government underfunding. Eventually, only international students who are able to pay high fees will be able to study at U of T. Those who are well-qualified but cannot afford it will be shut out. This is a loss for our institution, the entire student body, and the pursuit of knowledge as a whole. We are not as competitive as other provinces and other countries whose international student fees are more affordable.
Though some of us are paying triple the amount that domestic students pay, there remains an antiquated xenophobic rule at the heart of one of U of T’s governing documents — international students are barred from running for seats on the Governing Council of U of T! Just like domestic students, we are paying more for less.
In conflict with his statement that international students should not benefit from tax dollars, Schulman concludes that the government should focus on international students rather than flat fees. This is not an either/or situation. I agree that the government should fund all students, including international students. I also strongly believe that students should not pay for five courses if they only take three.
International students should not be exploited as cash cows, and domestic students should not be exploited by paying for education they do not receive. A province that is constantly patting itself on the back for how well the economy bounced back following the Great Recession should be able to work on both issues. The billions that have been wasted in scandal after scandal (billions that could have made education free for all of us!) show us that. Poorer countries are able to offer free education to both domestic and international students.
Schulman also fails to acknowledge other challenges that international students face when studying in Canada. We have to deal with the unfamiliarity of a new place, the distance from family and loved ones, and discrimination on the basis of citizenship status, race, and ethnicity. In conclusion, as an international student, I don’t think it’s helpful for domestic and international students to compete with each other for who deserves what. I believe post-secondary education should be affordable and accessible to all. Rather, we should provide a diverse learning experience and a unique sense of community.
Lack of provincial funding for education is the biggest challenge for all students. International students should not be used as an alternative revenue source in order to make up for government inaction. International students should be recognized for our economic, social, and intellectual contributions. To continue these benefits, the government must make our education affordable, give us access to social supports like healthcare, and above all, support us. Do not use us as cash cows.
Agnes So is the vice-president, university affairs, of the University of Toronto Students’ Union
