Tuition Limit Policy

Government has taken action to limit tuition and specified mandatory fee increases to the rate of inflation. The tuition limit includes the following provisions:

Tuition Limit:

For 2007/08 and 2008/09, the limit for tuition and specified mandatory fees is two per cent.  The Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development is developing a B.C. Higher Education Price Index.

Timing:

The tuition limit policy took effect September 2005. Any previously announced tuition fee increases exceeding two per cent were rescinded.

Scope:

The tuition limit applies to:

• Professional programs.
• Cost recovery/continuing education credentialed programs.
• All other credentialed and open enrolment programs.
• Mandatory fees, including capital construction support (e.g., building fees), consumable fees (e.g., fees charged for field trips and consumable supplies) and other mandatory fees (e.g., application fees and technology fees).

The tuition limit does not apply to:

• International students and third-party contracts.
• New programming (first year). Institutions may set the initial tuition and mandatory fee rate for new instructional programs (not amendments to existing programs). After the first year, tuition and mandatory fees will be subject to the tuition limit policy.
• Community/continuing education non-credentialed courses. Most of these are short-term courses offered in the evening or on the weekend (e.g., first aid, photography).
• Mandatory fees for student association or society fees (collected on behalf of student associations).