Often, when we talk about student affordability, we think of tuition and fees, the two areas we have direct influence on as a university. The entire picture is much bigger.
In my first year of university, my friend’s dad asked me what my tuition costs were and I gave him the number. He looked at me and said, “You know, you cost the system more than twice that. You know your education is publicly subsidized, right?” I hadn’t even considered it.
Today, the Government of Alberta funds 42 per cent of MacEwan University’s operating costs. That support acknowledges the benefit higher education provides to both students and the community more broadly. There’s value in developing graduates with the necessary skills and knowledge gained through post-secondary education; therefore, the government is proud of its contribution.
The other 58 per cent is obtained through tuition, fees, grants and other sources of revenue.
One of the things I find fascinating is the complex conversations happening at every university about tuition and fees. Most provincial governments set boundaries. They give institutions some room to adjust tuition fees, and universities decide how much of that room they will use. The goal is to try and keep tuition affordable while balancing the need to fund new and necessary student supports and ensure the highest calibre of teaching and staff. It’s a difficult balance.
How do we make sure that we’re offering an excellent education and student experience while ensuring affordability challenges aren’t a barrier to pursuing a post-secondary education?
I talked about value in my February column and how a public perception shift around the value of post-secondary education calls us to reaffirm our relevance and more actively test and champion our work. We need to outline how MacEwan is ensuring rising costs are not negatively impacting the value of what we offer, while also focusing on the costs students must bear.
We consult with the Students Association of MacEwan University (SAMU) as part of a tuition and mandatory non-instructional fee consultation process. This informs our budget forecasts. This also helps us to understand their interests and priorities and gain insight into what areas they’d like the university to invest in. As a result of what we heard in our most recent discussion with SAMU, we’ve dedicated additional resources towards mental health supports for students. We’ve also allocated more funds to scholarships, awards and bursaries. We’re also trying to make it easier for students to access funds without having to continually tell their story in ways that might not be comfortable.
In Teaching Greatness, we have also given ourselves the ambitious target of growing our total external funds raised for student awards from $1.4 million in 2023/24 to $14.2 million in 2030 – a goal directly tied to reducing barriers to access.
MacEwan also offers programs like the textbook affordability program and the laptop bursary to give students in need an extra boost in managing their costs. Earlier this spring, we made a $100,000 investment in the SAMU Food Pantry, and our staff held a massive food drive to help them fill their shelves. These efforts do make a difference.
A MacEwan staff food drive filled the SAMU Food Pantry shelves – SAMU said was their biggest food drive since the COVID pandemic.
MacEwan is also looking at ways to make it easier – and more affordable – for students to live close to campus, where they can enjoy the full experience of living and studying in Edmonton’s downtown. There is social value in living in an area where they can check out a local band, walk to an Oilers watch party, take in a show in the Arts District or meet with friends after class at a nearby restaurant. These are the kinds of experiences they would miss out on if they lived far away from campus.
In that vein, I’m very encouraged by the conversations we’ve been having with developers who want to create accessible, affordable housing for students. These developers are curious to understand what students want and need, what students can pay, and what will attract them to live in the buildings being developed. I’m announcing a collaboration in the coming days that will provide students a discount on housing close to MacEwan with two initial vendors, and if successful, may expand in 2025/26.
I think it's also important that students have access to supports that help them make the best possible choices for themselves and their budgets. That might include choosing healthy options and learning how to cook, so this spring we partnered with the Italian Centre Shop to host pop-up lunches and cooking classes where students learned how to make an affordable, healthy meal, then were given everything they needed to make the dish for themselves at home.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to providing value, and I’m very proud that MacEwan is continually looking at innovative ways to engage with our students and community partners to develop systems and supports to help them succeed and thrive.
Dr. Annette Trimbee
President and Vice-Chancellor