Tuition at the University of Toronto is set to rise by an average of 6.2 per cent for international students next year — why the spike?
We know that international students are more than a financial asset to U of T. The Governing Council’s 2005 Statement of Commitment Regarding International Students acknowledges that international students “contribute to the international character of the University’s research, and their presence provides opportunities for the international exchange of knowledge through our teaching programs… By enrolling international students, the University of Toronto, as an internationally significant university, has an opportunity to share its educational resources with other countries.” U of T is proud of its high-ranking reputation and is acutely reliant on the enrollment of international students to maintain this status.
Currently making up 17.5 per cent of the undergraduate student population, international students fill an exclusive quota that vitalizes U of T as a globally relevant center for excellence in education. Sizeable tuition increases, already underway for next year and projected to increase further, are how the university welcomes its key players.
Unfortunately, international students, now more than ever, present a tempting opportunity for U of T to bring in revenue. Growth in enrollment numbers is a reliable source of revenue for U of T, and, as stated in the 2014-2015 Long Range Budget Report, the revenue has generally been achieved by regulating increases in both domestic and international student tuition.
However, relatively new provincial grant policies, such as the 30 per cent Ontario tuition rebate, only protect domestic students, meaning that U of T’s tuition will be increasing at significantly different rates depending on the incoming student’s country of origin. Now in a pinch to make up the revenue that was once expected from domestic students’ tuition increases, U of T targets international students to take the heat.
At the centre of the issue of international student tuition is a disappointing hypocrisy. U of T relies on the enrollment of international students to uphold and contribute to the institution’s prestigious reputation, yet the university is burdening these students with tuition increases.
As universities in Ontario are directly affected by provincial funding policies, U of T can only find a solution by negotiating with the provincial government to create one of two results: providing more protection for international students against unregulated tuition increases, or increasing funding eligibility for international students. Until such rights are guaranteed, and until there is decent funding for all students, it is extremely unfavourable for international students to enroll at the University of Toronto.
International students should come to a university for the educational opportunities, not to personally fund research projects or draw money to maintain campus resources and facilities. A 6.2 per cent increase is not just an alarming number financially, it is an ethical imposition, and it is just the tip of the iceberg.
Maja Rakocevic is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto who studied at New College student, with a double major in English literature and cinema studies.
