Feburary Board of Governors meetings are generally of particular interests to students because it’s when tuition changes are approved. On this year’s agenda one particular pending change stands out — the 160 per cent increase in international student tuition for UBC’s Master of Nursing, Nurse Practitioner program.
The proposed change, which has was passed by the finance committee last week, recommends a 160.1 per cent increase per instalment in 2017-18, a 61.6 per cent increase per instalment in 2018-19 and finally a 38.1 per cent increase per instalment in 2019-20. This would bring tuition for international students in the Nurse Practitioner program to a total of $16,000 per instalment by 2020.
Tuition for continuing international students who entered the program on or after May 1, 2016 will increase by three per cent. For students continuing in the program who entered prior to May 1, 2016, tuition will only increase by two per cent.
Historically, UBC has increased the international student tuition for all graduate programs two per cent per annum in order to account for inflation. This constant change has, however, lead to the tuition for the nurse practitioner program, which is newly accepting international students, being far lower than for its peer programs. This increase has been proposed to help close the gap between the tuition for the Nurse Practitioner program and other peer programs.
“Having international students’ tuition that is lower than that of peer instituitions limits the program’s ability to strengthen its teaching and student support services,” reads the board document explaining the increase.
It’s current low cost also counters a board policy passed in 2015 that sets international tuition of most non-thesis-based graduate degree programs at levels comparable to those of peer institutions, “reflecting the value of a UBC degree and UBC’s standing as a global university.”
UBC’s Master of Nursing – Nurse Practitioner program has never admitted international students, and without a specified international tuition rate, the rate specified in the Academic Calendar defaulted to the international tuition rate for Standard Master programs (research-oriented programs).
Having international students’ tuition that is lower than that of peer institutions is inconsistent with the Board’s 2015 resolution and limits the program’s ability to make investments to strengthen its teaching and learning, and student support services.