Category: Access

Some interesting news out of Florida last week: Governor Rick Scott (or rather, a task force he created) wants to set tuition in so as to encourage enrolments in the sciences and engineering; so, basically, he’s proposing that tuition in those disciplines remain frozen for a number of years while at the same time allowing it to rise in disciplines deemed less “worthy” (arts, business, etc.). There are some fairly obvious drawbacks to this idea: not everyone is equally skilled

So, we all know that tuition is terrible because it’s perfectly obviousthat tuition impedes access. Right? I mean, come on. Who doesn’t know this? Ok, try this on for size: There have been four jurisdictions that have had major changes in tuition policy in the last fifteen years. Ontario in 1996 (a series of increases from 1996-99 of roughly 20% per annum), Manitoba in 2000 (a 10% cut in tuition with a freeze thereafter), Newfoundland and Labrador in 2000 (a 20% decrease in fees

Hey, have you heard about what’s going on in Quebec and Ontario? Turns out one province is way ahead of the other in terms of university participation rates. And in terms of attainment rates among 25-34 year olds. Also, it turns out one province has tuition almost three times higher than the other. And higher rates of indebtedness. And, among those who borrow, much higher levels of indebtedness at graduation (almost 60 percent higher, in fact). The thing is, the