By Kristine Hamlyn
For the third year in a row undergraduate tuition fees dropped at Memorial University, the only decline in the country. Memorial’s undergraduates now pay $2,550 (tuition only) down from $2,670 last year, well below the Canadian average of $4,025. Canadian undergraduate students are paying an average of 7.4 per cent more in tuition fees for the 2003-2004 academic year, an increase Statistics Canada calls the biggest in four years.

Entering the seventh straight year of a rate freeze, Quebec tuitions are the lowest in the country at $1,675 for Quebec residents only. Universities in Nova Scotia are at the opposite end of the scale at $5,557, followed closely by Ontario with $4,923. British Columbia universities led the way in percentage increases, jumping 30 per cent to $4,140 after the province lifted a six-year freeze in 2002.

“Low tuition is undoubtedly something for us to promote about Memorial,” said Sheila Devine, director, Student Recruitment. “It is one of the many features our recruiters love to bring up while on the road, both provincially and nationally. We are delighted that Memorial is able to offer such a good quality education at such an affordable price.”

However, as today’s society becomes increasingly consumer-oriented, so may the misconception that higher prices mean better quality. Ms. Devine sees this as a challenge that Memorial’s student recruitment officers must address when speaking of Memorial’s low tuition rates. But she believes that the misconception is easily put to rest when people realize the extent of what Memorial has to offer. “We have a wide range of programs, award-winning faculty and staff, extraordinary students, outstanding facilities and over 50,000 alumni who speak for themselves.

The Globe and Mail quotes many universities as saying that government funding cuts have left them no choice but to raise tuition fees where possible. The National Post reports university administrators are already beginning to grumble about turning away qualified students because government funding for post-secondary education is not keeping pace with demand. Memorial University doesn’t seem to have this problem, reporting a significant increase in both undergraduate applicants and registrants for the 2003-2004 academic year. The latest registration report, released Sept. 3, revealed there are currently 17,177 students enrolled at Memorial.