The University of British Columbia has adopted a new way of assessing tuition rates that provides consistency and clarity for international students.
The multi-year tuition framework was formally approved by the Board of Governors in late 2024 and will be implemented for the 2025-26 academic year. Under the framework, international students will now know beforehand how much their tuition will be for each year of study.
"We know the cost of a university education is a challenge for some of our students," said Dr. Gage Averill, provost and vice-president, academic, UBC Vancouver. "The possibility that we might increase tuition in the second, third or fourth year of a student's study used to add a level of insecurity to a student's financial plans."
"Under this framework, tuition increases for returning international students will be capped at a maximum of three per cent per year for the next four years," said Dr. Rehan Sadiq, provost and vice-president, academic, UBC Okanagan. "These increases ensure UBC can continue to provide world-class education and services as the university's costs increase."
UBC created the Student Affordability Task Force in 2021 to take a holistic view of affordability challenges some students face and develop mitigation strategies to help address those challenges. A key recommendation of the task force was to implement a multi-year tuition framework.
"A lot of thought was put into how to be more transparent and better support the financial insecurities of our current and future international students," said Dr. Ainsley Carry, vice-president, students.
"Previously, when students were admitted to a degree program, they were only informed about the tuition for their first year," said Dr. Carry. "This new framework allows students to set effective budgets and know well in advance what to prepare for."
UBC remains committed to supporting its students through financial aid. "UBC is one of the largest providers of student financial support in Canada," said Dr. Averill. "We continue to grow this support to ensure that more students have access to higher education, regardless of financial background."
UBC's focus remains on balancing the need for tuition adjustments with its commitment to maintaining strong financial support systems for students. The university aims to continue its mission of providing accessible, high-quality education while addressing the financial realities faced by both the institution and its students.
