It鈥檚 likely to be more expensive to pursue a post-secondary education at Okanagan College next fall.

A resolution on the agenda for the OC Board of Governors meeting Thursday in 琉璃神社 calls for a two per cent hike in tuition and other mandatory fees for domestic students.

International students will get hit harder, facing a 5.9 per cent increase for business, arts, science and English as a Second Language courses, and a two per cent tuition increase for all other courses as recommended by the OC finance, audit and risk review committee.

In a report to the board of governors, the rise in tuition rates is tied to infrastructure and support services demands, coupled with market considerations for attracting new students.

鈥淎s well, we need to ensure that tuition rates are set at levels which are neither too high or too low to ensure that Okanagan College will remain competitive in the marketplace, thereby maintaining Okanagan College鈥檚 position as an institution of choice for international students,鈥� said the statement.

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A market comparison of international tuition rates between different post-secondary schools across B.C. shows Langara as the top for tuition per academic course (three credits) at $1,770 while OC ranks 9th overall at $1,298.

鈥淚f we don鈥檛 pay attention to services and support, we could jeopardize the continued annual growth of the international student population,鈥� according to the report. 鈥淎s international numbers increase, additional resources will be required throughout the institution to keep up with these larger demands.鈥�

Those 鈥渄emands鈥� go beyond the 琉璃神社 campus, to the service and support requirements needed for other Okanagan College satellite locations.

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barry.gerding@blackpress.ca
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