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There’s more to the QC tuition story

At a time when many are questioning how financially accessible education is in Canada – OK, mainly groups like the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations – Quebec’s ruling on the legality of McGill’s MBA tuition hike must be seen as a victory.

For those who don’t know, this year saw McGill hike the tuition fee for their MBA program nearly 900 per cent. Tuition for the two-year program cost $29,500 annually, even though the province mandates a cap of about $1,700 per semester. The decision to charge more sparked a bit of a row between the province and the school, with the Quebec government deciding yesterday to fine the school an amount equal to the amount taken in by the higher tuition fee.

Fun side-note: the students won’t be seeing any of that fine.

But that’s not the point at the moment – the issue is McGill’s original argument for higher tuition. According to the university, more money is the only way they’d be able to compete with other schools. In a world where most MBA programs will cost upwards of $60,000, it’s not too outlandish a claim.

It’s true Quebec has among the lowest tuition rates in the country, but its schools have also warned for quite some time of the financial difficulties of such low rates. In an ideal world, higher tuition means being able to afford better faculty and facilities. With the provincial government adamant about capping tuition rates, schools have to do more with less – something that will inevitably hurt students down the line.

Should McGill do as Western does and increase enrolment to provide more cash for the coffers? It’s perhaps the simplest solution but one that raises other issues like on-campus housing and student-to-teacher ratio.

I’m not arguing for higher tuition fees necessarily. There are far too many already barred from post-secondary education for financial reasons. But if provincial governments want to play hardball with their universities over tuition, they should also provide funding to ensure we students aren’t falling behind.

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