Dear members,
As students struggle to keep up with the cost of living, they are calling on the employer to reconsider proposed tuition increases of 5.5% for domestic students and 6.5% for international students.
With these proposed hikes, university administration is asking students to shoulder additional costs during an affordability crisis that has made essentials like rent and food uncertain for an increasing number of students.
We don’t need to look far for signs of this crisis: the Campus Food Bank continues to see high demand with no indication this need will decrease any time soon. Over the past few years, students and workers have toiled to navigate a global pandemic that is still ongoing, with the brunt of the impact borne out by those who are already most precarious.
The AASUA stands in solidarity with students as they fight for an affordable education. Together, workers and students have made the University of Alberta a world-class institution — we all deserve to be treated fairly, not as fodder for university administration’s bottom line.
Sincerely,
Gordon Swaters
AASUA President