TORONTO, June 19, 2006 -- The Board of Governors of York University has approved a three-year tuition fee schedule to commence in the 2006-07 academic year.
Tuition fees for most undergraduate students who are entering programs at York will increase by 4.5 per cent for 2006-07, which is $188 more than the 2005-2006 rates. Fees for students who are continuing in their programs will increase by four per cent, or $167.
The annual increases of 4.5 per cent for entering students and four per cent for continuing students will also apply in most undergraduate programs in the subsequent 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic years.
The new tuition fee schedule conforms to the Ontario government’s framework for tuition fees at Ontario universities, which restricts annual tuition fee increases for arts, science and most other undergraduate programs to 4.5 per cent for first-year students and four per cent for those in their second, third, or fourth year and beyond.
Fees for undergraduate students in professional programs entering their first year in engineering, business, computer science and law, will rise by eight per cent, an increase of $335 in the 2006-07 academic year. The increase for students beyond their entering year in these programs will be limited to four per cent, or $167.
The government’s framework allows increases of up to eight per cent for students entering graduate programs. In 2005, York University’s Board of Governors froze tuition for domestic students in non-professional graduate programs and this freeze will remain in place through the 2007-08 academic year. Increases in fees at the graduate level will apply for most professional programs.
The tuition increases are approved to take effect May 1 of each year. Implementation of the fee increase for 2006-07 has been deferred to September 1, 2006, with the exception of the Executive MBA program, offered through the Schulich School of Business.
The Ontario government’s new framework for tuition caps the annual increased revenue from tuition fee increases at five per cent per year overall. Universities are required to sign accountability agreements with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, tying the tuition increases to quality improvements and student access.
The additional revenues from fees will enable York to continue to enhance the student experience through investments in faculty complement and improvements to classrooms. A significant portion of the revenue from the fee increases will also be directed toward student financial aid. In 2005-2006, York awarded $49.5 million in student financial assistance. Over the next three years, more than $8 million will be added to this annual commitment. York will also continue the practice of supporting its students through part-time employment at the University. More than $57 million in wages and earnings was paid to students registered at York during fiscal 2005-2006.
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York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 190,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 faculties and 23 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges. York University is an autonomous, not-for-profit corporation.
For more information, please contact:
| Alex Bilyk | |
| Director, Media Relations | |
| York University | |
| 416-736-5603 | |
| bilyk@yorku.ca |
