Students at the University of Guelph are demanding a decrease in international student tuition fees as many face heightened fees, loss of jobs and food insecurity.
The Central Student Association at the U of G stated that many international students are struggling to pay for basic needs like rent and groceries. Many stranded in Canada are also unable to return home and are facing mental health challenges as a result of the pandemic.
The student group is asking that the university reverse the international tuition fee increases for the upcoming year, freeze fees for international students and provide extra bursaries, scholarships and grants for international students.
The University's Board of Governors approved new international tuition rates in June which increased undergraduate international students’ tuition between 3 percent to 15 per cent depending on the program. International graduate students’ tuition increased by up to 3 per cent. For lower-enrolment graduate programs such as landscape architects, tuition rates increased by 37 per cent.
The university said it expects approximately 1,500 international students to return to the school this fall.
“The Central Student Association (CSA) and the International Student Organization (ISO) are deeply disappointed in the University’s decision to drastically increase international tuition fees, especially during a global pandemic,” said a joint statement by the CSA and ISO.
“Many students are really concerned about having to pay full tuition fees for the fall semester for a digital experience that may not cultivate the same learning environment that an in-person semester might,” said Horeen Hassan, vice president of external affairs at the CSA.
Hassan said students are finding themselves in financially precarious situations where they lost their jobs and can’t pay rent. She said international students are hit the hardest because they are not eligible for the federal Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and their tuition fee has actually increased.
After reading many written testimonies from students, Hassan said many international students are even considering dropping out of school in the fall because they can’t afford to keep up with the high tuition.
“The type of support international students need, they’re not receiving it and they’re finding themselves in even more financial precarity because they can’t afford to pay rent or can’t afford to pay groceries. Some of them are also stuck in the county because borders are shut down so they can’t get back home," said Hassan.
U of G stated that up to $500,000 of the funds from international tuition increases are earmarked to provide international student supports such as bursaries and scholarships. It’s also providing a one-time credit of $750 to all full-time international students registered for the upcoming semester who are paying international tuition fees. The university also helped fundraise for food banks during this crisis to battle the identified issue of food insecurity.
“Even though the $750 is a step in the right direction, in comparison to the $27,000 to $30,000 the international students are paying, its basically a drop in the bucket," said Hassan. "That kind of support was needed without the tuition fee increases.”
Anna Canella, an international student and co-president of the International Student Organization at the U of G said she's worried about her financial situation and whether she will even be able to return to school in the fall.
Canella came to Canada from Brazil in 2015. She completed a bachelor of science degree in 2019 and is pursuing a graduate science degree in the fall.
She has financed her education by working part-time throughout her undergraduate degree. She said her tuition is nearly three times as much as a domestic student. With the pandemic, she was laid off from two server jobs that she relied on to help her survive.
“I don’t get as much support from my family especially because of currency exchange issues. It is a big burden on my family even to send a couple of thousand dollars to support my tuition,” said Canella.
“Especially now with the pandemic, the exchange rate just skyrocketed.”
As an international student, she doesn’t qualify for student loans. Now after getting laid off, shes worried about how things are going to play out in the fall.
“The issues were I have to pay way more for tuition in the coming fall and I was planning on saving the money so I can comfortably start my graduate studies with enough many saved so I don’t have to worry about basic things like rent and groceries and tuition," said Canella.
“The problem for me is my tuition is three to four times what normal tuition would be,” said Canella. For the upcoming year, her master’s tuition will is approximately $25,000 per year for three semesters without a summer break.
“I’m worried about being overworked because I still have to hold a part-time job with my masters,” said Canella adding that she’s worried about how it will affect her education, education experience and success in the long run. Her undergraduate degree was $20,000 per year.
She said she knows her parents want to help but they can’t.
“It is a very tough situation for parents to be away from their children, in communication over phone and video chat and trying to support them the best that they can and still being unable to do so," said Canella.
Hassan said government funding is lacking in this situation where international students find themselves in a desperate situation.
“If COVID-19 has taught us anything and this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that public services need to be prioritized,” said Horeen whether it be public transit, healthcare or education.
