Tuition increase at University of Saskatchewan has students worried about affordability

Darla Ponace · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 17, 2025 1:55 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

The University of Saskatchewan Students' Union (USSU) is expressing interest astir a precocious announced tuition hike.

The U of S announced this period it would rise tuition fees by an average of 3.8 per cent.

Krunal Chavda, president of the USSU, said students are already nether fiscal unit with the rising outgo of living, with galore surviving connected the bare minimum portion taking retired pupil loans.

"They are facing a small spot of a crunch astatine this time," helium said. "Specifically with each the things going astir wrong the state and successful the world, they are experiencing immense strain."

Chavda said helium knows universities crossed the state are facing fiscal pressure, but helium hopes they see the hardships students are facing.

"We brought immoderate points guardant to the university, and the assemblage has responded positively regarding that, particularly regarding planetary students," helium said.

He said the U of S has a $1-million exigency money to assistance students who are successful a fiscal crisis, which is simply a good, but helium inactive thinks the schoolhouse tin bash better. 

"What we person heard from students passim the year, is that the rising costs of lodging and nutrient enactment students successful a very, precise atrocious spot," helium said. "They sometimes conflict to screen their basal needs."

Chavda said the USSU wants to marque definite station secondary acquisition does not go unaffordable.

"We privation much for students. We privation to marque definite that students are prioritized," helium said.

Chavda said he hopes the assemblage works with the provincial government to guarantee pupil fiscal assistance is disposable and support tuition affordable for all.

"We privation to marque definite that students ' voices are being heard astatine those determination making tables."

In a written statement, the U of S said the tuition hike is needed to guarantee the instauration is gathering Canadian acquisition standards and paying for indispensable upkeep.

It said the summation is comparable to different universities crossed the country. It stressed it volition inactive connection fiscal assistance done scholarships, bursaries, tuition waivers and situation aid.

The assemblage said it makes definite to meet annually with its students to sermon tuition increases.

"Students are our highest priority, and we volition enactment with students to guarantee their needs, fiscal and otherwise, are supported wherever possible," the connection said.