WE'RE GETTING
ROBBED.
The University of Alberta promises some of the best education in the country and expects us to pay accordingly. Every year, we fork over thousands of dollars in tuition fees, food plans, and residency rent.We expect a high quality of education and a liveable university experience in return - but the university hasn't held up it's side of the bargain.In exchange for our diligent payments, we've been rewarded with oversized classes, understaffed facilities, and ever increasing costs on virtually everything. Now, on March 24th the school seeks to raise tuition while students are already struggling to make ends meet.
Enough is enough.It's time to stand up for ourselves. It's time to:
HALT THE HIKE!MARCH 24
Stay updated by following us on:
5.5%
That is the maximum yearly increase of domestic tuition allowable under Albertan law. It is also the raise in tuition that the university is pushing onto domestic students right now.For domestic students paying approximately $6500 in 2022/23, that's an addition of roughly $360, or a month and a half of food. Added on to an average book cost of $3500 and residence rent at $15,000, we're seeing more and more students get squeezed out or left in crippling debt.
-----------
And that's just for one year of price raises on domestic students. For international undergraduate students admitted before 2020, a 5.5% increase in a year's tuition is equal to $1375 or more. For those coming in Fall 2024, they will experience a 6.5% increase, meaning that they will be paying at least $2073 more than their previous cohort.If the University passes the unjust tuition plan on March 24th, we are going to see a cumulative increase as high as 29% since the hikes started in 2020. That means domestic undergraduate students will need to pay at least $1550 more in 2023 than in 20193.
-----------
While the university hides behind excuses of inflation, over the past four years the wages of graduate students has increased by a percentage less than half that of tuition hikes1. Salaries of faculty and staff have been frozen from 2020 to 2022 even though tuition has been skyrocketing. It's easy for the top executive staff to propose these changes when they're getting paid upwards of $400,000 per year, but for ordinary students, these costs are nothing short of overwhelming.Adding insult to injury, the student body has had zero opportunity to voice their opinions on the matter despite the hike having been tabled since October of last year2. University admin has attempted to push through these changes as quietly as possible, disregarding any open town hall or public forum for discussion.
-----------
The numbers don't lie.We need to take action to let the university know these hikes are unacceptable. Right now.
1. Domestic Thesis-based Graduate Students Wages vs Tuition Increases vs Inflation
2. Timeline of 2023 tuition increases
3. Tuition increases at the UofA, 2020-2024
Educate. Agitate. Organize.
Angry about tuition hikes and want to do something about it? These three words are the power behind every successful movement. Let's talk about how you can get organized to make a difference.
EDUCATE
Fundamentally, we all believe that education is the first step towards a better world; that's why we're students in the first place.The same goes for all organized political action. People need to know the problems that they face and be provided information on how to tackle said problems.To that end, get talking! Education can be as simple as sharing this website via social media or having a discussion with a friend. Opening conversations about student rights can be as easy as saying, "Hey, did you hear about the tuition increases coming up?"No one wants to pay more for less, especially students on a budget. Many of your peers will likely be open to hearing about changes that affect them.Most importantly, educate yourself! Learn more about the decline of higher education in Canada and the efforts people have made to combat it. To get you started, we've linked a few articles below:
-----------
AGITATE
If you're already a little agitated (alarmed, angry, or annoyed about tuition rates), then we've likely done a good job at educating you on the situation. However, it takes more than hurt feelings to make a difference.In order to promote change, students must be motivated to actually do something, and believe that through coordinated effort, they can succeed. Agitating is the process of converting those educational conversations with your friends and peers into real action.The idea is that by doing something small, folks can gain the confidence they need to do something big.Forming independent student groups to discuss the ongoing situation, creating and distributing posters, or even signing and sharing our petition are all tiny actions that can help to get you and your friends started.Just remember, agitation makes the difference between the despair of apathy and the hope of action. Get out there and do something!For a quick primer on how to start an affinity group, as well as some poster templates, see the link below:
-----------
ORGANIZE
The final step is to roll up your sleeves and get to business. If you have an affinity group formed and an action in mind, proceed as planned! Every little bit counts.However, you may also be interested in coordinating larger actions alongside our campaign. Feel free to reach out to us via social media to get further info. The ultimate goal of organization in the context of Halt the Hike is to gather momentum for a protest and student strike on March 24. Organizing committees to spread the word, or simply creating protest groups with friends are both great ways to participate.We hope to see you and your group there! For more info on our protest, check out the 'Stand with us' link below:
Friday morning, March 24
Mark your calendars: the final vote on tuition increases by the board of governors will be occurring on March 24, 2023. Halt the Hike will be holding an open protest outside Council Chambers at VVC 2-100 University Hall (between Van Vliet and the Students' Union Building) on March 24 from 8am to 12:30pm. Prior to the protest starting, a free pancake breakfast will be provided in the SUB basement starting at 7:30am.Come drop by in solidarity whenever you have a moment, and stay as long as you like. Skip class for a cause. Bring your kids, a megaphone, a sign, or even a musical instrument. We'll be offering songs and coffee to keep morale up throughout the day!
-----------
Interested in doing more?
So are we! To keep up to date on protest news and plans, join our mailing list or follow us on Twitter/Instagram. Sign the petition to demonstrate your support for the movement, and check out our organizing guide to see how you can help independently.