N.S. Tuition Decreasing, StatsCan Report Shows

Nova Scotian students in Nova Scotia universities are paying less tuition this year, a direct benefit of the government's commitment to reduce tuition to national levels by 2010-11.

Statistics Canada released a report today, Oct. 18, that shows Nova Scotia's average university tuition this year is $5,878. The average tuition in Canada is $4,524. The Department of Education traditionally uses arts program tuition as a benchmark. The average arts tuition for Nova Scotians in the province is $5,280.

Nova Scotia was one of only two provinces to reduce tuition this year. Nationally, undergraduate tuition in the country rose 2.8 per cent.

"The province reduced tuition for Nova Scotian students in Nova Scotia universities by $500," said Education Minister Karen Casey. "Our commitment is to reduce tuition by at least $1,000 by 2010-11 and we are halfway there."

In the spring budget, the province earmarked $11.6 million to reduce tuition by $500 for Nova Scotian students in Nova Scotian universities. At the same time, $12.5 million was invested to freeze tuition for out-of-province Canadian students. Tuition increases for international students were either reduced by 3.9 per cent or eliminated.

Ms. Casey said the priority is to provide tuition relief to Nova Scotians. A key factor is that federal education transfers go to a student's province of origin, not to the province where she or he studies.

"We have seen ever-increasing out-of-province enrolment in our universities. If federal funding followed out-of-province students to Nova Scotia, we could reduce tuition for all students faster," said Ms. Casey.

Between 1990-91 and 2005-06, the number of Canadian students coming to Nova Scotia from other jurisdictions rose from 21 per cent to 29 per cent of enrolments. At the same time, international student enrolments rose from five per cent to nine per cent, according to figures from the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission.

Statistics Canada figures from 1999-2000, the most recent data available, showed that two students came to Nova Scotia to study for every Nova Scotian who left to study elsewhere.

An administrative change at Acadia University this year caused some statistical anomalies in Nova Scotia's reported numbers. Acadia transferred a $1,419 laptop-computer charge from tuition to compulsory fees, which artificially increased StatsCan's reported tuition decrease. Similarly, the increase in compulsory fees was also inflated. Apart from the change in how the laptop cost is shown, there were no fee increases at the university.

Even when the Acadia anomaly is factored out, Nova Scotia remains one of two provinces to reduce tuition at a time when several provinces are increasing tuition.