By GNS
The University of Calgary’s Board of Governors approved both differential tuition and a 6.3 percent general tuition increase today despite the best efforts of student leaders. A full year’s undergraduate tuition next year will rise by $260 from $4,120 to $4,380.
Differential fees for law and MBA programs will be $2,500 for the 2003-2004 school year, $5,000 for 2004-2005, and $5,000 for 2005-2006. Medical students face the same increases for the next two years, and a $7,000 increase for 2005-2006.
Approximately 150 students at the meeting were disappointed with the decision, after repeated attempts to drown out U of C President Dr. Harvey Weingarten’s presentation to the board.
University officials stated that the additional $6.8 million generated by the tuition increases will go in part to cover a $22 million budget deficit in 2003-2004. They also rejected multiple proposals by the U of C Students’ Union to only increase general tuition by 0, 2, and 6 per cent.
One motion supported by students and unanimously by the board was to lobby the provincial government for more funding.
For more on this story, read next week’s Gauntlet.