Cap International Tuition Campaign

Overview

Studying abroad can be a life-changing opportunity for the thousands of international students that choose to come to Canada for new experiences and world-class education. However, many international students also struggle during their time in Canada due to systemic inequities and discrimination that exist within the Canadian post-secondary education system.
Capilano University contributes to the financial struggles international students face during their studies, by charging higher tuition and fees than they do to domestic students. Capilano University relies on the higher tuition levels they charge to international students to fund their day-to-day operating expenditures and balance their budget. However, despite this significant financial contribution from international students to the university, only a portion of those collected revenues are actually spent back on international student services and helping to improve their university experience.

The provincial government of British Columbia is also responsible for some of the inequities faced by international students as they do not regulate how much post-secondary institutions can increase international tuition and fees from one year to the next, while limiting domestic tuition increases to 2%. International students are also charged a mandatory $75 monthly international fee for health coverage during their studies, which is not charged to anyone else in the province.

Despite putting hundreds of thousands into university budgets, creating thousands of jobs in British Columbia, and contributing billions into the Canadian economy, international students face systemic inequities and discrimination. International students deserve fair and equitable treatment from governments and post-secondary institutions, ensuring that they receive the support and services they deserve while pursuing their education in Canada.

We are asking Capilano University to eliminate the $500 “administration” fee they charge to international students when all courses are dropped.

Under the current policy, if an international student at Capilano University wishes to drop all of their courses, they will be charged a $500 administrative fee to do so. There does not seem to be a justification for this charge as domestic students who drop all their courses are not assessed this same fee. International students should not have to pay extra fees that do not apply to domestic students, so we are asking Capilano University to eliminate the $500 administration fee they charge to international students when all courses are dropped.

We believe that all students should receive access to the same services provided by the university for the same fee. We are asking the university to eliminate this unfair fee and provide the same services to international students at the same cost as they charge domestic students. We have created a petition on change.org to collect signatures. Add your name today!

We are asking Capilano University to limit international tuition increases to the same amount as domestic tuition

Along with additional fees, international students are also charged a much higher rate of tuition that can increase unpredictably from one year to the next. The BC Tuition Limit Policy, which limits annual tuition increases to two percent, only applies to domestic students, meaning international students could have their tuition fees drastically increased with very little notice

20% or 50%

The BC Tuition Limit Policy mandates that tuition increases for domestic students must not exceed two percent — but the same policy does not apply to international student tuition. This means that international students face extreme insecurity when budgeting for their education, not knowing from year to year if their tuition rates will increase by two percent, 20%, or 50%.

600%

At Capilano University, international students make up less than half of the student population, but over 80% of the universities’ tuition fee revenue (based on previous year calculations). Furthermore, international student tuition has risen by almost 600% since 1991.¹ In 2015, average undergraduate international student tuition in British Columbia was $26,399 for a year of full-time study and has currently risen to $36,588 in 2019.²

Capilano University currently adheres to the two percent tuition increase limit for both domestic and international students as an act of good faith, but there is no policy or regulation in place to prevent it.
The Capilano University board of governors or university administration from a sudden change in practice that could result in a drastic tuition hike for international students.
It is important that international students at Capilano receive assurance in the form of official policy from the university that their tuition increase limits will not suddenly change from year to year.

We are asking the province of British Columbia to remove the international student Medical Services Plan fee

On January 1st, 2020, most people in British Columbia benefited from a change to the structure of the Medical Services Plan (MSP), which eliminated their financial contributions to provincial health care. This change was particularly meaningful to students, who often struggle with staying financially afloat while also balancing their academic commitments and personal lives.

However, one subsection of the student population did not benefit from this change, and actually saw their financial burden go up. A mandatory $75 monthly international health fee must be paid by international students to receive Medical Services Plan coverage during their studies. The Capilano Students’ Union advocates for the BC government to remove this unfair fee.