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Wednesday, December 01, 2004

PMS

My mood is a little swingy today. I cut my hand while cutting tomatoes and all of a sudden I punched the table top out of anger. Yes, you are right - it is that time of the month.

I wrote a comment in response to an article that I read on Gateway, the university's newspaper.

"In response to Ross Prusakowski's article "International tuition hike makes sense" (30 November), I would like to make a few comments as an international student.

First off, I would like to thank the SU for coming out to hear our concerns at the forum held last week. Finally, someone is willing to let our voices be heard. Well, who would be happy with a 23.5% fee hike all of a sudden?

Some of you may have heard the angry voices from your international friends, but to those who have not - I advise you to attend the meetings or forums because there are plenty who don't know what is going on.

Prusakowski said that the 17.75% increase will bring the amount international students pay up to $14,394 annualy. He also quoted from Edmonton journal that it was still a little short of the $15 000 it actually costs for a year of education at the U of A.

I would like to point out that these two statements are not true. As an international student, I am very aware of how much I am paying per year as a full-time student. Before this increase, I was paying 150% more than the local students. I pay $14950 for a 2nd-year engineering program this year. Increasing it by another 17.75% - let's make it 23.5% since everyone is affected by the other 5.75% - will amount to an increase of tuition to almost $19000-$20000.

If we want to speak of the quality of education in universities - I would have gone to U of Toronto or Waterloo for a fee of nearly $20 000 because they DO provide me with more benefits. I am not saying that the U of A is a lousy place but now, I rather go some place else where I can gain the benefits I should be getting for the amount I am paying.

Basically, the fee hike will drive most of us away. We are half way through in completing our degree/phD. Of course, the univesity has its own standards to meet, its financial strains to cover, and its "quality" to improve. But, taking it all out on us is not the wisest thing to do. The university will face a greater loss when we decide to transfer out or return home for this reason. Then, the fact that we are going to advise other international friends not to waste any time or money attending the U of A, will not contribute to university's plans on improving its quality.

Prusakowski also mentioned the fact that it was foolish to make the investment on our tuition fee because we have a visa, and we get kicked out of the country eventually thus will not return our part to the Canadian community. This I would agree. And, this is what the university should consider before passing the proposal.

I have received crude remarks from people saying that I should not have chosen the U of A if I want to complain about this. But do people understand that we pay high exchange rates as well? Do people understand how it feels when we don't get to work off-campus? Do people understand that our parents work so hard to set aside an estimated amount of money for our education here? No. At least, I know the people who gave me those crude remarks did not even bother to put themselves in our shoes.

Don't get me wrong. We are not against the whole tuition increase. But if the university can justify the benefits we receive with this sudden increase, we might consider staying on (so far, the administration has not proven anything to us). Otherwise, don't propose it on current international students. It is not doing the university's reputation any good.

Yun Ling
2nd year Chemical Engineering"

I am hoping it will be seen by a thousand other students. If not, let's just say ... I would have punched the table more today.

Yun @ 5:28 AM | |

about me

Home: KL, Malaysia
School: U of A

I am someone who frets a lot - I call it a psychological disorder. I am constantly trying to escape my complex mind which, very often, drives me and my close companions to the edge of insanity. Born under the sun star Libra, I am greatly affected by a disease called "indecisiveness". Nicknames were never part of my dictionary until I met some people who decided to name me "turtle". Soon, I was representing a zoo of hamsters, "sotongs", pigs, cats, etc...

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Fee hike - Discriminating!