Tuition up 3.5 per cent at U of R

Students at the University of Regina (U of R) are paying 3.5 per cent more in tuition this fall semester.

The U of R’s budget was released last spring with a shortfall of $3.5 million.

“It kind of impacted me emotionally as well as mentally because I had to think about purchasing something first due to the fact that I had to buy groceries, I had to pay my rent, and also had to pay my tuition,” Yashvi Laicha, a student from the University of Regina said.

U of R president, Dr. Jeff Keshen said that inflation is the main cause of higher tuition, but the cost increases can lead to anxiety and other mental health issues for students.

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International students pay three times more than domestic students for tuition and that pressure can sometimes lead to more academic misconduct cases.

“When I ask them why they indulge in this kind of academic misconduct cases, it’s more like, the common reason is stress,” Harsh Kumar Patel, vice president of Regina Students’ Union said.

Dr. Keshen said the University of Regina is doing its best to help students and it has created a new mental hub to provide support.

“That hub will be placed on the net because we know our students access the net and we bring together all the services from the University, so they can easily identify and connect with people that can provide that support.”

The University of Regina is also helping reduce financial pressure by establishing different scholarship projects, creating more employment opportunities for students and provide courses with no cost.