U of M international students’ tuition comparatively low

A tuition report from around the world

Joanna Bhaskaran, staff

Universities around the world have many things to offer for international students, such as the quality of education and a new culture, but the affordability of getting a quality education — including the cost of living, the cost of health care, airfare, and other miscellaneous expenses that international students incur — are all things that need to be taken into account before enrolling.

At most universities international students are assessed differential tuition fee, because the cost of post-secondary education for citizens is government-subsidized. Each Canadian student, for example, has approximately two-thirds of the cost of their education subsidized by the government.

To make up for this, some international students are funded by their government, some are funded by scholarships, but most students usually pay tuition and other costs out of their pocket.

Robert Kerr, vice-president (academic) and provost, said that the cost of living is an important factor when determining the true cost for of attending university for international students.

“Provinces like Manitoba and Saskatchewan have a low comparative cost of living and this also contributes. The University of Manitoba also has some of the lowest fees in the country except for maybe students in Quebec or Newfoundland.”

The United States is currently the top destination for international students, according to “Open Doors,” a report on post-secondary student mobility commissioned by the Institute of International Education.

The University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, hosts the largest percentage of foreign students in the United States, with over 6,881 international students. One academic year (nine months) at USC for an international student is estimated to cost C$49,569, which includes tuition, board, health insurance, textbooks and other miscellaneous expenses.

In London, England, City University, a full course load in the Faculty of Arts would cost an international student C$17,572.65, while at Oxford University, a full course load in the Faculty of Arts will come out to $30,622.71 per year.

The University of Toronto is one of the largest universities in Ontario and attracts the most international students, according to Statistics Canada. U of T’s 6,979 overseas students pay $31,107 for one year’s worth of tuition the Faculty of Arts.

The University of Melbourne, in Australia, has a tuition cost of C$18,512 for a full course load in the Faculty of Arts.

At the University of Manitoba, international students are looking at paying C$18,702 a year on University 1 tuition, books, board and miscellaneous expenses. Neil Marnoch, registrar at the University of Manitoba, said that international undergraduates are assessed fees on a credit-hour basis, like domestic students. “For example, in the Faculty of Arts [there’s] a base rate of $100. A Canadian student is looking at paying $90 because of the 10 per cent provincial rebate fee.”

International students at the U of M also pay a differential fee. According to Marnoch, this means that “An international student in the Faculty of Arts would pay the $90 plus a 180 per cent differential fee on the base rate, so their fee per credit hour would be $270.”

The University of Manitoba estimates that provincial grants support two-thirds of the cost of a domestic student’s education.