(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By rdnewsNOW staff

"Difficult decision"

Tuition going up at RDC

Apr 19, 2021 | 5:59 PM

Student tuition is going up at Red Deer College.

Officials say that after considerable consultation with student representatives, RDC has made the “difficult decision to increase tuition and fees to the allowable maximum for the 2021/2022 academic year.”

RDC says this move will ensure they can effectively continue their commitment to providing students with the educational experience that they have come to expect.

Post-secondary tuition rates in the province were frozen from 2015-19 under the former NDP provincial government. That freeze has expired under the UCP government.

RDC’s tuition rates and the Facility, Service & Technology fee will increase for 2021/2022, while the Activity & Wellness Fee will remain unchanged. This means RDC students will pay up to $298 more per term for tuition, depending on an individual’s course load. Regarding mandatory non-instructional fees, students will pay $135 total per course (based on a three-credit course).

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College officials say RDC learners will continue to access quality academic programs and services at comparable rates to other post-secondary institutions.

“We understand the challenges that increasing tuition and fees presents to our students and we are pleased to provide a range of supports, as well as a growing amount of scholarships and bursaries, to assist them as they invest in their post-secondary education,” says Dr. Peter Nunoda, RDC President. “We are committed to ensuring that post-secondary education in central Alberta remains accessible.”

The college says it is offering greater flexibility in how students learn by providing more courses online or through hy-flex delivery (meaning students can choose to attend online or in-person for a particular course).

Planning for the 2021/2022 academic year, including ongoing adaptations to help ensure the health and safety of the College community during the COVID-19 pandemic, continues.

“As we continue to make decisions for RDC’s next academic year, we will continue to seek efficiencies in our operations while ensuring that we continue to provide value for our students with quality applied learning opportunities and access to a wide range of services as they pursue their educational goals,” says Nunoda.