Market modifier increases will improve quality in 25 Campus Alberta programs.
Government has approved tuition increases in 25 programs to enhance program quality and correct tuition anomalies between programs in Alberta and across Canada. One application was rejected for not meeting the criteria.
Existing students in the approved programs will not be impacted by the increases. When fully implemented, approximately eight per cent of Campus Alberta students will be affected. The modifications represent less than one per cent of all programs in Alberta’s post-secondary system.
The increases will bring a projected $21 million in additional revenue to Campus Alberta institutions. Tuition in these programs will be closer, but in some cases still below, tuition at comparable institutions across Alberta and Canada.
“Market modifier increases address tuition anomalies between programs in Alberta and across the country. These tuition increases allow institutions to enhance quality and make these specific programs more responsive to student needs. Our goal is to have the best post-secondary education in the country.”
~ Don Scott, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education
Each individual market modifier proposal was required to outline how the additional revenues would increase program quality and affect students.
“While the U of A law proposal is substantial at first glance, upon further review, one can see that it is quite reasonable. The market modifier will simply bring our school in line with the national average of competitive Canadian law faculties.”
~ Scott Meyer, President 2014-15, University of Alberta Law Students’ Association
“The Haskayne MBA Society, on behalf of the full-time and part-time MBA Students recognizes the potential repercussions of raising tuition, but also see this as an opportunity to increase value to the Haskayne MBA in the future. Accordingly, we encourage the Haskayne School of Business to proceed with the proposed market modifier towards improving the MBA program and services rendered.”
~ Haskayne MBA Society – University of Calgary
About market modifiers
- The 25 programs approved for tuition increase represent 0.88% of the 2,950 programs available across Campus Alberta.
- Approximately 13,367 Full Load Equivalent (FLE) positions will be impacted or 8% of the 158,020 FLE positions in Campus Alberta. The full load equivalent is measured by taking the load of the student enrolled and dividing by the full load of that program.
- Market modifiers were introduced in 2010 as an amendment to the Tuition Fees Regulation as a way for institutions to apply for tuition corrections for specific programs above the rate of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
- Market modifiers are meant to correct market anomalies in the cost of specific programs compared to comparable institutions in Alberta and other jurisdictions.
- Once the market modifier has been implemented, tuition for the affected programs may increase at the rate of the CPI.
- Alberta offers a comprehensive student aid program to ensure post-secondary students can access the right funding supports to support their academic goals. Any eligible Albertan who needs a student loan to support their studies will get it.
- Albertans are successful at repaying their loans. It is expected that more than 90 per cent of Alberta student loan dollars issued this year will be repaid by post-secondary graduates based on repayment rates over the last 10 years.
- The average tuition rate for an undergraduate program in Alberta is $5,730 in the 2014-15 school year; the national average is $5,959 per year according to Statistics Canada.
- Tuition in Alberta increased by one per cent in 2014-15. This represents the second-lowest increase in all of Canada.
- The Alberta government covers a majority of the cost of a learner’s education in Alberta.
- For example: it costs approximately $20,000 per year on average for an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in Alberta. Of that amount, a student pays approximately 28 per cent–or $5,300 per year. The remaining cost is the responsibility of taxpayers and institutions. The Alberta government covers most of the cost, around 60-65%.
- An average Bachelor of Science degree costs almost $30,000. Of that, a student pays approximately 18 per cent of the cost—or $5,300.
- The criteria for market modifier proposals included identifying: a clear existing market anomaly for the a single proposed program; provisions for grandfathering current students and plans for phasing in the change; information on how students were consulted; information on how the additional revenue would increase program quality; benefits to students and the institution if the proposal was granted; total cost to students; any potential system-wide impacts of the adjustment.