By Carol Martin
SooToday.com
Thursday, March 22, 2007

Sault College's board of governors tonight approved tuition hikes from four to seven percent, depending on the program.

Registrar Mary Ellen Tomi told the governors the sharpest increases will be experienced by first-year students in the college's high-demand programs (Group 3 and Group 4).

One exception will be the school's popular graphic design program, where the increase will be just 4.5 percent.

Sault College students understand the need for some tuition increases says Graham Vooren, outgoing Student Administrative Council president.

"The college has gone through years and years of underfunding," Vooren said. "We're hoping to see more funds from the provincial budget as well."

Vooren said that colleges shouldn't have to return to students for more tuition increases in the future if the province makes good on its promise to increase funding for colleges.

He said that students want to see smaller class sizes, improved facilties and equipment as well as financial aid to students who want to attend college but can't afford it.

"We don't want any student denied post secondary education for financial reasons," said Vooren.

Sault College groups programs into seven tuition groups as follows:

- Group 1, classroom-based

- Group 2, classroom, lab and technology-based

- Group 3 and 4, high demand programs such as GIS, Graphic Design and Aviation

- Group 5, classroom, lab and co-op programs

- Group 6, the collaborative BScN program

- International

- Tuition short such as Marine and Small Engines as well as Hairstyling

All second- and third-year students in tuition fee groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 as well asthe collaborative BScN program as agreed in an arrangement with Laurentian University will see four percent increases.

There will be an increase of 4.5 percent to tuition short programs and international student fees.

Tomi also said there will be a $100 tuition hike for first-year students in tuition fee groups 1, 2 and 5.

Also increasing in September 2007 are some ancillary fees.

The Student Administrative Council fee will increase from $120 to $131, the Student Alliance Fee will go up from $5 to $7 and the Health Centre Student Insurance cost increases from $40 to $50, Tomi reported to the board.

Vooren said this increase puts student ancillary fees for Sault College about mid-range for Northern Ontario college student' costs.