Tuition hikes coming to University of Saskatchewan

The University of Saskatchewan is raising tuition fees and cutting operating costs in an effort to balance its books, the Saskatoon-based institution announced Wednesday.

Officials said tuition will rise by an average of three per cent. In some departments, such as law and pharmacy, the tuition hike will be 7.5 per cent.

The university has also gone to all departments and ordered them to find savings to meet the budget shortfall, which is estimated at $10 million.

Richard Florizone, vice-president of finance for the U of S, said the global economic downturn was the main reason behind the shortfall.

"It's affected us first in terms of our pensions. It's affected us in terms of the investment income that we get for our operating budget. And it's affected us in terms of the income and the capital available in our various endowments and trusts," Florizone said.

Officials said that it was likely that tuition fees, which had been frozen at 2005 levels, would have increased even without investment revenue losses.

"There's no doubt that as costs go up, the cost of programs go up," said Brett Fairbairn, vice-president of academics. "Students should expect that, over time, [the] costs of university education will also tend to go up somewhat, we hope in a moderate and measured way."

Warren Kirkland, president of the University of Saskatchewan's Students Union, said he would give the budget a passing grade. He said the university was taking the right approach to its fiscal problem.

"We've seen other provinces see large increases, in the double-digit range," Kirkland said. "So I think three per cent overall is a positive step."