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Amendment March 22, 2024: The University of Alberta Board of Governors has approved a tuition increase of 2% for all domestic students beginning in Fall 2024 and a 5% increase beginning in Fall 2025 for international undergraduate students (with the exception of Science which will see an increase of 6.5%) and international thesis- and course-based graduate students. The 2024/25 cohort tuition for international undergraduate and graduate students was approved in March 2023.
The university is continuing with tuition offsets to fund student financial support: a 15% incremental increase for domestic tuition (effective Fall 2024) and 8.55% total international tuition (effective Fall 2025). For international tuition, this is an increase from the current offset of 7.55%.
Your official fee assessment will be available on Bear Tracks in July. If you need assistance connecting with financial supports or resources, please see the finances, funding and support webpage or contact the Student Service Centre.
Q: What tuition increases can I expect?
We’ve proposed a tuition increase of 2% in 2024/25. This would apply to all domestic students.
The 2024/25 cohort tuition for international undergraduate and graduate students was approved in March 2023. We’ve also proposed an increase of 5% for international students (with the exception of Science which could see an increase of 6.5%), beginning in Fall 2025 and a 5% increase for international thesis- and course-based graduate students, beginning in Fall 2025.
Starting in Fall 2024, domestic tuition increases are restricted by provincial legislation to a maximum increase equivalent to 2% across the institution.
Q: I am an international student admitted prior to 2020. How will this impact my tuition?
When cohort-based tuition was first introduced in 2020, a legacy period for international students admitted prior to 2020 under the former registration-based tuition model was approved to end in Fall 2024. The university continues to work with students admitted prior to 2020 who have not yet graduated to communicate impact and ensure support and resources. You can reach out to the Student Service Centre if you have any questions.
Q: Why do tuition increases happen?
It really comes down to wanting to ensure we can maintain the quality the students have come to expect and deserve.
To be able to continue quality programs, and as we understand what kind of government support we have, we look at what need remains in our overall budget and what proportion would need to be covered by tuition as the only available source of funding for activities related to instruction and program delivery. There are no increases in the government operating support grant, and we’re still managing the cuts that came to us from previous government decisions. At the same time, we need to ensure we can maintain quality for our students.
Q: Will there be additional resources allocated to financial support for students in response to the increases?
The university is continuing with tuition offsets as part of their proposals that fund student financial support: a proposed 15% incremental increase for domestic tuition (effective Fall 2024) and 8.55% total international tuition (effective Fall 2025). This is an increase from the current offset for international tuition of 7.55%.
Q: How often do tuition increases occur? Is this something that happens at a regular cadence, or is it something that happens in response to external factors?
Tuition consultations happen yearly as part of annual budget planning. It happens just once per year, and we are guided by what’s allowable under the Government of Alberta’s Tuition Framework. Starting in Fall 2024, domestic tuition increases are restricted by provincial legislation to a maximum increase equivalent to 2% across the institution. The university’s Fall 2024 proposal aligns with this cap, and includes a 15% incremental offset dedicated to student financial support, in alignment with our practices over the last four years.
Tuition is determined for domestic students the March before the upcoming academic year, following consultations and governance. For incoming international students, increases are decided a year in advance, so we’re able to provide them with a tuition guarantee for the duration of their program.
It’s important to note that international tuition is not regulated the same way as domestic tuition is. It must at least cover the total cost of delivering the program and receives no government support.
Q: Is this something all post-secondaries do?
Yes. Every year, all post-secondary institutions will review and make decisions in the winter or spring before they’re implemented.
Q: How does the U of A decide what percent increase needs to happen?
Prior to instituting the 2% cap, provincial legislation capped domestic tuition at the consumer price index (CPI) which is estimated to be 4.97% for the upcoming year. This year, the difference between a 2% increase and 4.97% creates a $6.7M revenue gap for the University. The gap also reduces the amount of funding available for student financial support by $1.1M under the current 15% incremental offset model.
For cohort-based tuition for incoming international tuition, it’s a little different - we research a likely inflationary model to guide the development of a proposal and ensure it’s feasible for the standard length of the program, typically four years, to ensure that we are working to at least cover the costs of delivery for international students and remain competitive in attracting international students to study with us.
Q: Were there consultations with students? What did it look like?
Tuition proposals were informed and enriched by a robust consultation process. The Tuition Budget Advisory Committee (TBAC) is the University’s official mechanism for consultation with students on tuition. With the agreement of student leaders on TBAC, this year’s consultation process included discussions at the Council on Student Affairs, the Students’ Union (SU) Council, the Graduate Student Association (GSA) Council, and the International Students’ Association Council. The consultation process also included two townhalls organized by the SU and the GSA and open to all students.
The 2024/2025 tuition proposal was shared with students as part of a months-long consultation process in Fall 2023 and Winter 2024. View the proposal.
Q: Where does my tuition actually go?
Tuition covers all expenses related to instruction at the university, including:
- Instructor salaries
- Creation and maintenance of classrooms
- Creation and maintenance of study spaces
- Supplies related to instruction that are consumed during instruction and not retained by the student (materials owned or leased by the student are covered by other fees)
- Utilities
- Maintenance of research enterprise that supports instruction
- Libraries
Really, your tuition goes to fund anything associated with the delivery of your program. This includes financial support for students as well.
Q: Can we expect increases to Mandatory Non-Instructional Fees?
Mandatory Non-instructional Fees (MNIF) are fees that all students must pay for specific goods or services agreed to with the student body that enhance the student experience and student success. Examples include fees for student athletics and recreation, health services, academic services and student services. MNIFs are overseen by a Joint University Student Oversight Committee, with an agreement between the University and student associations that describes how fee increases are managed.
MNIFs increase annually by a board of governors approved cost-driver formula, known as the Academic Price Index (API). The API for Fall 2024 will be calculated prior to fee assessments being issued this summer.
Q: Who can I go to for help understanding my fees or paying for my education?
For information on financial assistance, money advice and related support for U of A students, visit the finances, funding and support webpage. The Student Service Centre can help connect you to resources for tuition and financial support. Advisors will also be able to help you understand your fee assessments.
Most importantly, we know tuition is not an insignificant expense, so we’re always looking at how to support students with additional financial support and other initiatives, including :
- The Zero Textbook Cost Program
- Investing in student mental health and academic supports: Counselling and Clinical Services will begin to grow their capacity from 14 to 22 clinicians. This will enhance access for all students by increasing the number of clinicians by 8 along with the adoption of a new stepped care model.
For more information on the proposed increases, please visit the Tuition Increase web page .