Brittany Lausen, SARDC President (rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Troy Gillard

bracing for impact

Students’ Association working with RDC to make tuition increase “affordable”

Mar 4, 2020 | 2:36 PM

The Students’ Association of Red Deer College (SARDC) says it recognizes that the college is in a tough spot following more provincial funding cuts, and that tuition increases are on the way.

What the association is hoping is that ways can be found to make the increases as affordable as possible for students.

“We recognize the institution is in a tough situation,” says Brittany Lausen, SARDC President, adding they too were surprised to see RDC’s funding cut to the tune of $3.6 million in last week’s provincial budget. “As the institution has indicated, it was a bit more of a cut than anyone was anticipating.”

RELATED: RDC funding cut 7.4% by provincial budget

RDC also lost $1.2 million in funding in the provincial budget that was tabled last October.

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The province has lifted the cap on post-secondary tuition fees that had been in place for five years, eaming now have the ability to hike tuition by as much as seven per cent annually over the next three years.

Tuition at RDC ranges from $3,200 to $7,900 per year, meaning seven per cent hike would add an additional $250 to $555.

“The tuition freeze was never meant to carry on forever, and students recognize that,” acknowledged Lausen. “We presented the institution with a cascading tuition model for the next three years of having a seven per cent, six per cent and five per cent increase that would set tuitions closer to the 15-year rolling average. It would land us closer to where tuition would be had there not been a freeze.”

Lausen admits the tuition freeze was nice for a while but has helped make the current situation more difficult.

“As the cost of living increases every year, students recognize the cost of delivering programs increases slightly,” she said. “With a tuition freeze, it’s great that tuition is staying the same for students. But at the same time that’s an unsustainable model. What we see is when the freeze is lifted students are expected to pay large jumps versus a gradual increase.”

Representatives from RDC and SARDC will be meeting this to discuss the issue.

“We have the expectation will follow the tuition and fees regulation set out by government so that it’s as affordable as possible,” Lausen noted. “Our priority is working towards making RDC as affordable and avoiding large programming cuts, front-line staffing cuts, because that’s what’s important to students is being able to go to an institution and essential access services that will help make them successful.”