Tuition questions leave Students' Union Looking for answers

June 21st , 2007 St. Catharines, ON - Brock University students are in for a surprise when they arrive back at school this September. Many students will be surprised to discover that the Brock University Undergraduate tuition structure has been changed to a flat fee structure from the per credit structure that has served Brock in the past.

This flat fee structure will cause all full time students enrolled in 4 credits or more to pay the same flat rate as though they were taking 5 credits. Students taking 3.5 credits or less will still pay on a per credit basis.

Brock University Students’ Union President James O’Brien stated “It is important for students to be aware of the new tuition structure before they register for classes and not simply discover the change to the structure when they receive their bill in the mail. Students looking for information should visit www.busu.net”

The tuition structure change having passed through the Board of Trustees on the March 1st meeting is a definite reality for the 2007/2008 academic year. The main rationale for the University is that they allocate space and resources based on full time students taking 5 credits.

“The Students’ Union is not convinced that is the correct solution to the problem. Imagination and ingenuity can be used to create a more palatable solution for students, and as a Students’ Union we are committed to consulting with students this upcoming year and working with the Administration to create a better solution for the 2008/2009 academic year.” Explained President O’Brien

The new tuition structure will not affect all students, there are those who will be able to opt out of or appeal the new tuition structure, the Students’ Union recently confirmed. These include certain athletes who are deemed to be participating in a sport that demands increased commitment, students with learning disabilities who are unable to take 5 credits, as well as students who are in their last year of study and only need 4 or 4.5 credits to graduation will be able to appeal this flat fee.

This however does leave the Brock University Students’ Union with a number of still unanswered questions.

“With the fall semester rapidly approaching it is imperative that the administration find answers to many outstanding questions. The two biggest questions at this point are who will be sitting on the appeals committee through the registrar’s office and most importantly what affect this will have on students receiving OSAP and their financial situation, and we are committed to getting answers to these and other questions students may have from the University Administration.”

Established in 1971, the Brock University Students’ Union is a not-for-profit student organization, representing 16,000 students.