THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA Nov 3, 2000

Dosanjh extends tuition freeze

Tuition at B.C.’s post-secondary institutions will remain frozen for the sixth straight year, Premier Ujjal Dosanjh announced at an Oct. 24 news conference held at UVic. To illustrate the importance of a quality education, Dosanjh told a story to the mostly student audience about an injury he sustained while a young man working in the B.C. forestry industry. The injury forced him to seek out the education that he says changed his life. “Getting an education gave me a chance to build a better life,” said Dosanjh. “I believe every young person in this province — regardless of class or background, no matter where they live or how much money their parents make — should have the same chance to succeed and make something of themselves on the basis of their learning and hard work.” Dosanjh said accessible education is his government’s “number one priority” and that he will do whatever it takes to make B.C.’s post-secondary system the best in Canada. Dosanjh added that, if it’s financially feasible, the province will take steps to reduce the cost for students of obtaining a post-secondary education in British Columbia. The extension of the freeze means that B.C. tuition remains the lowest in Canada outside Quebec. According to government sources, the average tuition fee at B.C. universities is $2,280 a year, $1,691 less than current fees in Ontario and $1,561 less than in Alberta. Dosanjh and Graeme Bowbrick, then Minister of Advanced Education, Training and Technology, were on campus to participate in the first session of a student-sponsored forum on access to higher education.

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