A reappraisal of university access and affordability 2009

In the Final to financial issues and affordability barriers are Report, the focus of financial assistance was also (Saskatchewan, 2006-2007): on improving the system of student loans, rather than finding ways to shift the cost of university • A fully funded tuition reduction of $1,000 per away from students and toward public provision academic year for undergraduate students of a university educat [...] Statements by the Minis- Tuition Freeze Follows ter of Advanced Education and Employment in 2008 make it clear that the tuition freeze will not Skyrocketing Fees continue for the next academic year although During the 1990s and the early part of this the size of the tuition hike is uncertain (Wood, decade, university tuition fees rose at unpre- 2008). [...] With tuition maintained at the 2004-2005 level of $5,063 and additional fees of Reduced Affordability $479, the cost of attending university in Saskatch- One way to address the issue of whether the ewan amounted to 32.6 per cent of income in increases in tuition and fees are affordable is to 2005, with little difference by sex. [...] In 2005, the examine the portion of income an individual comparable portion of income necessary to meet or family would require to meet annual costs the cost of tuition and fees was 15.1 per cent for of tuition and fees. [...] The approach favoured by the University of Saskatchewan is that the Board set the rate • Following 14 years of average annual tuition rather than having a specific rate specified by the fee increases of 9 per cent, the provincial provincial government.