U of C approves 1.5 % tuition hike

Arts and science students at the University of Calgary will have to pay a few extra dollars for their tuition next fall.

The board of governors approved a 1.5 per cent tuition increase on Monday, which translates to about $80 more per year for most students.

"It's not a very substantial sum of money," said Alan Harrison, vice-president academic.

"It just helps us to pay the bills. It will go some way to address the cost inflation we experience in universities, which typically is in excess of the consumer price index."

The University of Calgary is considering large tuition increases to its medicine, business, engineering and law programs.

If approved, students in some professional faculties could end up paying 45 per cent more for their classes. For example, the annual program fee for medicine would increase from $14,384 to $19,000.

That proposal, which requires approval from the provincial government, is going to the board in April.

Alberta has a tuition fee regulation that limits annual increases to tuition by the consumer price index.