Tuition Increase at Lakehead: What International Students Are Now Sacrificing for a Degree
The tuition increases at Lakehead University are not making education affordable for all. Imagine being in your fourth year of your degree and having to completely reevaluate your living costs amidst a global pandemic. Many international students are facing this exact issue with increases in tuition fees up to thirteen percent for some programs.
Thirteen percent may not seem like a huge increase until we examine the price of yearly tuition for an international student. According to Lakehead’s international student’s tuition fees page, there is an increase of around three thousand dollars for most programs. First-year international students in the Engineering program will pay $33, 307 compared to last year's fee, $29, 654. Having tuition fees rise so drastically is a disservice to any student looking to gain an education while living a decent life.
Knowing that they will have to pay more than triple what Canadian students will, some international students are willing to take on the dept in hopes of getting a degree, although many now face the question of a degree in exchange for what? What part of someone’s daily life will the money come from? The heating bill? Meals? A room to themselves?
One student from India, who wishes to remain anonymous, expresses his concerns over the new hike in tuition. He speaks about several issues surrounding employment, especially during the pandemic, stating, “Students are scared to work outside right now. Working with risk to pay their fees, leads to stress all the time that ultimately damages their education.” That stress is increased by the mere twenty hours a week international students are legally allowed to work during the school year.
The thirteen percent must come from somewhere, and often students are forced to rely on their parents to cover their education. The anonymous student remarks, “Parents, back in their countries, have lost their jobs because of them getting laid off and are not able to pay their bills.” This puts many families in an unmanageable situation, where they must choose an education for their children over basic necessities. Is poverty the cost of a degree? Will tuition fees continue to rise and bar international students from coming to Thunder Bay?
For some students, this increasing debt was not their expectation when setting out to attain a degree. Marcela Garcia Bueno, a first-year student from Guadalajara, Mexico explains, “You see, since I was in middle school I always wanted to study abroad. My country is not in great conditions regarding safety and other issues. Fortunately, I got the chance to enter Lakehead. However, my parents have been forced to cover an amount of tuition we would never have had to pay for in a Mexican university. Although I did get a merit-based scholarship for my stay in LU, they are making a big effort in order to be able to encourage and afford my studies and career. It has not been easy for them. It breaks my heart to hear about an increase in tuition and to know they would have to pay a bigger amount of money. I’m really looking forward to getting a job in order to help them with costs. I’m so happy with my opportunity in Canada, but I’m also worried about the financial sacrifice it represents for my family.”
The Argus has reached out to the international accounts officer, but so far has received no comment. If the accounts office will not respond to questions of “why was there such a high increase in fees” and “what does this money go towards,” why would international students want to come to Lakehead? The tuition increase is nothing other than an unacceptable burden placed on families and students who wish to attain higher education.
Any students who need help affording their meals can reach out to the LUSU food bank: http://foodbank.lusu.ca/. If you are in a position to help financially, please also consider donating and helping your fellow students!
Source
https://www.lakeheadu.ca/students/finances/tuition-fees/fees/undergraduate