The Board of Governors for the University of Northern British Columbia has approved a 33% tuition fee increase for UNBC students, effective May 1. The fee increase will affect all bachelor's degree programs (with the exception of the Bachelor of Education) and graduate offerings. Even with the increase in fees, the cost of attending university in BC is below the national average.

The tuition increase is similar to what has been announced for other BC universities and is necessary for the University to maintain its level of operation while directing some additional resources to critical areas of need: student services, scholarships and bursaries, faculty recruitment and retention, and inflationary pressures (utility costs, software licensing, etc). In addition, the tuition increase will allow six vacant faculty positions to be filled.

"For a growing university that is aiming to expand services in Prince George and around the North, now is not the time to cut back in programs and courses at the university," says UNBC President Charles Jago. "This year, we will again be paying the bills through a significant increase in tuition fees, the scale of which cannot continue in the future. It is imperative that government make further provision to address rising enrolments while determining an appropriate level of sharing with students the cost of university education."

With the increase in fees, students will be paying about 25% of the total cost of their education. The tuition for a typical full-time student pursuing a bachelor's degree will now be just under $3700 per year, up from almost $2800 in the past academic year. The fee for the BEd will continue to be $4100. For international students, the cost of attending the University will remain at 2.75 times the tuition for domestic students. In response to the rising fees, 16% of the tuition fee increase will be directed to student scholarships and bursaries.

The 2003-04 budget is $46.9 million and the University operating grant from the Government of BC is $33.2 million. About 70% of the budget is spent by academic programs and in delivering academic services.