When Ye En Kim came to Canada to study engineering, she was eager to practice at McGill Universitys state-of-the-art labs in Montreal. She wanted to get hands-on knowledge in research projects and immerse herself in Canadian culture. The COVID-19 pandemic quickly ruined that strategy, leading to class suspensions, campus closures and online classes. The labs closed, shutting Kim out of what she sees as a valuable part of her education.

After the two weeks suspension of courses due to the pandemic, I expected an extension of the semester, explained Kim. But that did not happen.

Despite the disruption, the university outlined that there will be no general consideration of refunds for the winter 2020 semester. Hearing frustration from other students, and inspired by the petitions in the U.S. by New York University , Kim launched a petition on behalf of the McGill student community for a partial tuition refund.

The cost of university tuition which last held a national undergraduate average of $6,463 a year for domestic students and $29,714 for international students, according to Statistics Canada have long been justified by the need to pay teachers salaries, fund campus resources and student groups, and pay for research and other costs. Now that many resources are inaccessible, students are left wondering what theyre paying for.