Tuition hikes will severely reduce students’ access to post-secondary institutions

On Monday, April 30, 2018, UWinnipeg announced tuition will increase by 6.6 per cent. This comes after the provincial government’s decision last year to allow post-secondary institutions to remove the cap on tuition which allows an increase of up to 5 per cent plus the rate of inflation.

The UWSA condemns UWinnipeg for choosing to raise tuition which will further pass the burden of accessibility to education on to students.

“Increasing tuition will affect every student in Manitoba but will provide even more barriers to students living with disabilities, Indigenous students, and international students,” says Morgan Brightnose, President of the UWSA. “UWinnipeg’s attempt to balance their budget at the expense of students demonstrates how far removed UWinnipeg is from their students.”

Over the last year, the UWSA has been actively working to fight the proposed tuition increases.

“The province’s recently announced changes to the student aid and bursary program are a mere distraction from the core issue,” says Zee Morales, UWSA Vice-President External Affairs. “Increasing tuition will only add barriers for our most vulnerable students.”

Anytime tuition is raised, we see this as a failure to provide inclusive and accessible education for all.

We call on the administration to find answers to funding challenges that do not pass costs on to students. We further demand real and meaningful access to UWinnipeg’s budgeting process to ensure students’ voices are present and heard when financial priorities are set.