Dalhousie University approves higher tuition and fees

Dozens ofDalhousie University students protested againsta decision Tuesday by the school's board of governorstoapprovea three per cent general tuition increase across all programs.

"Students aren't accepting this. Students aren't happy with this," said Kathleen Reid,incoming Dalhousie Student Union president.

"We can't afford to go to school. We have students using things like the DSU food bank... they have to make a decision between getting food or paying their tuition fees."

The university'sprovost and vice president, Carolyn Watters, said in a news release that the tuition hikes, along with cuts to faculty budgets, helped Dalhousie balance the books in the coming fiscal year.

The board of governors also approved additional tuition increases for undergraduatesin engineering, pharmacy, and agriculture, however the bumps were not as large as initially proposed. They increasesare:

• Engineering: 3.3 per cent per year for three years (down from fiveper cent in the initial recommendations)
• Pharmacy: Fourper cent per year for three years (down from fiveper cent)
• Agriculture: 5.8 per cent per year for three years (down from 6.3 per cent)

The 2015-2016 provincial budget lifted the tuition cap and allowed Nova Scotia universities to make a one-time market adjustmentto tuition, so they can charge similar amounts for similar programs.

Students 'not happy'

About 100students protestedoutside the meeting on Tuesday. Reid saysthey hoped their presence would stop the meeting from happening.

Instead, she says it wasmoved from room to roombecause of the protest. With shakers in hand, students chanted "reject the reset," "the students united will never be defeated,"and "open the door."

University students have been demonstrating regularlyagainst the one-time cap lift on tuition since it was announced a year ago.They held a sit-in outside Advanced Education MinisterKelly Regan's office to protest tuition hikes a month ago.

John Hutton, the vice president academic of DSU, saysstudents in agriculture, pharmacy and engineering facultieswill be seeing tuition andfee increases over a period of three years that will amount to as much as $2,000.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that students are alreadygraduating with record levels of student debt. More than 200 students a month are using our university food bank. Why does the university even have a food bank? It shows the level, the crisis students are facing," said Hutton.