KPU announced Wednesday that it has closed applications from all international students enrolled in 2018. Photograph By PHILIP RAPHAEL/RICHMOND NEWS
After closing the doors on new applications from international students, Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Board of Governors has recently voted to approve a 15 per cent increase in tuition fees for international students.
International students will need to pay $658.03 per credit, which will result in an annual tuition fee of $19,741 for students taking a full course load starting from September this year, Kwantlen Student Association said in a press release.
For current international students, tuition fees will rise by 7.5 per cent in September this year and a further 6.98 per cent in September 2019. New international students will see tuition fees rise by 15 per cent this September.
KSA said they were not involved in the decision-making process and was disappointed about the decision. The increase is significant and many international students will struggle to adapt to this change, the association said.
“This is a huge increase in costs for international students,” said Caitlin McCutchen, KSA president in a press release. “The general impression is that international students are all wealthy and so can pay higher fees, however most of our international students are from the middle class, and this increase will put a strain on them and their families.”
The university's international enrolment has grown by 41 per cent since last fall. The school said the increase is to ensure that it can sustain the quality of international education at KPU.
The international program at KPU has experienced a surge in demand over the past year, which created additional cost pressures for the school, “such as the need to hire additional permanent employees to educate and support our international students,” said KPU in a statement.
“The increase in tuition fees will address these budgetary pressures and allow KPU to provide additional support to sustain the quality of our international education program.”
Currently, for most undergraduate and university preparatory courses, Canadian citizens and permanent residents pay $ 139 per credit, while international students will need to pay four times more, $572.2, according to KPU’s website.
