Grande Prairie Regional College students will be seeing a 2.2 per cent increase in their tuition next school year.
While that is the highest increase the provincial government would allow, Dean of Student Experience Jean Nordin argues it’s needed to keep competitive.
“We have to try to keep up with the cost of living; everything else goes up, so tuition has to go up to help us try to maintain some of those costs. Really, that’s not that much; it’s $70 to $100 increase for most of our students.”
Nordin maintains that GPRC is still one of the most affordable post-secondary institutions in the province, and the rise in cost was supported by the Students Association.
The one exception to the 2.2 per cent increase is the Animal Health Technology Program, which will see a 12 per cent rise for new students, to bring it more in line with other schools.
Nordin explains it’s considered a “market modifier increase” approved by the provincial government.
“And that was if we felt we had a program that was falling behind as far as tuition is compared to other institutions in the college, other institutions in the province, the cost of delivering the program, as well as the wages that the students make.”
The cost of the program for new students will go up by just under $1,000, while returning students will only see the 2.2 per cent increase.