Tuition and Instructional Fees

Introduction

Definitions

• Tuition - the amount charged to students or their sponsors to pay for registration in a course or program of study, usually assessed per credit hour, that varies by faculty or program
• Standard Tuition - tuition rates for:
  - one credit hour of undergraduate instruction
  - one credit hour of graduate instruction
  - part-time or full-time doctoral studies
  - international student tuition differential
• Non-standard Tuition - tuition fees beyond standard tuition rates, including:
  - tuition for professional programs
  - contracts that offer programming to a targeted group of students
• Community-Based Programs - programming required for a University of Regina credential that is normally offered in partnership with another institution and at a designated location other than any of the primary U of R campus locations, which include the U of R main campus, College Avenue campus and Saskatoon facility and the federated colleges 

Policy

The University utilizes all appropriate avenues to generate revenue from sources other than tuition, including government funding, fundraising, cost recoveries, and academic entrepreneurial activities (e.g. new degree, certificate, and diploma programming that generates new revenue).

The University also pursues cost containment, cost reduction and the internal re-allocation of its resources in order to minimize its revenue needs. In doing so, it does not compromise the quality of the learning and working environments and the range of other services provided to students, alumni, employees, researchers, and the community at large. It devotes sufficient resources to address its strategic risks with regard to its mission and goals.

In setting tuition levels, careful consideration is given to a wide variety of relevant factors. Tuition increases will be implemented to keep pace with similar-sized universities or known post-secondary sector competitors, as well as to maintain appropriate revenue.

The University continues its commitment, through fundraising campaigns, partnership arrangements, promoting improved student assistance programs, the maintenance and expansion of co-op activities and student employment, placement services and career counseling, and other means, to expand the amount of employment, scholarship and bursary funding available to its students, during and subsequent to their studies, to help finance the costs of their university education.

Principles - Standard Tuition

The University of Regina requires sufficient revenue to provide programs and services at a level of quality comparable to other Canadian universities with similar missions. On this basis, the programs and services at the University of Regina should not have a cost of delivery that differs significantly from costs for similar activities at most other Canadian universities.

Recognizing that graduates of the University experience significant monetary and non-monetary rewards from the knowledge, skills, and credentials obtained through university studies, it is appropriate that students pay a portion of the costs of operating the University. It is also reasonable that students and their families save or incur debt to finance this valuable personal investment with life-long returns. It is in the interests of the University, its students, its potential students, and society in general, however, that tuition is no higher than necessary to contribute to the University’s revenue requirements. Public policy considerations indicate that there are more efficient and equitable means of addressing barriers to access than artificially suppressing tuition increases below the level of annual increases in the University’s costs. The University is committed to working with other parties, particularly the Government of Saskatchewan, to identify and realize the most appropriate means of eliminating financial barriers to access to the University.

Potential student demand for a program and demand for graduates of the program are relevant in setting tuition.

Principles - Non-Standard Tuition

The following principles are to be considered in setting non-standard tuition fees.

• Flexibility - Flexibility considering different models and considering various circumstances is required when setting non-standard tuition. Calculations should be simple and reasonable, and acknowledge the expected financial and human resources required as well as the opportunities created.
• Incentives – Faculty incentives may be considered to encourage and reward new programming initiatives.
• Costs – The full costs of the initiative must be identified and taken into consideration in both setting the tuition fee and allocating the non-standard tuition revenue.
• Market forces – Potential student demand for the program and demand for graduates of the program are relevant in setting tuition.

Rationale for Establishment of a Non-Standard Tuition Fee

Three or more of the following criteria are required to implement a non-standard tuition fee:

• The fee will be applied to a newly developed or significantly modified program that has been targeted to a particular group of students.
• Non-standard tuition fees are required to ensure the University is appropriately compensated for the specialized components and additional costs associated with offering the program.
• Tuition fees are necessary to compensate for above average costs associated with program delivery.
• Development of the program is supported by a feasibility study that demonstrates both the opportunity and potential for revenue generation.

Community-Based Programs 

• The Board delegates authority to set program and service fees for Community-Based Programs to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) with an annual report on these approvals made to the Board  

Fees Related to Non-Credit Instructional Programs 

• Fees related to non-credit instructional programs (e.g. Co-operative Education Program, Academic Recovery Programs, English as a Second Language (non-credit)) and mandatory courses that are delivered to students in multiple faculties (e.g. UNIV 001) are typically approved as part of the annual budget setting process.
• The Board delegates authority to set and adjust fees for individual non-credit courses (e.g. BUS 007, GRST 995AG) to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)   

Credit Course Travel or Materials Fees 

• Tuition and course fees include the normal costs of providing those courses. Where unusually high costs such as travel for field trips or expensive materials consumed by the students (e.g. film, clay) is required, a request to assess a travel fee, or a material fee for the travel or consumable materials may be made through the submission of a Special Fee Approval Form. 
• The Board delegates authority to approve such fee requests to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)  

Roles and Responsibilities

Board of Governors

• Approves changes in tuition rates annually
• Approves new standard and non-standard tuition fees on a case-by-case basis

President and Vice-Chancellor

• Submits to the Board of Governors an annual proposal for changes in tuition, as a companion to the Comprehensive Budget Plan
• Recommends approval of standard and non-standard tuition fees to the Board of Governors
• Approves the distribution of standard and non-standard tuition revenues

Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

• Reviews factors relevant to tuition levels at the University and proposals from Faculties
• Working with the Office of Institutional Research, provides advice, analysis and documentation regarding proposed tuition levels and the introduction of new standard and non-standard tuition rates
• Approves fees for community-based programs as well as credit course travel or materials fees
• Approves non-credit instructional fees

Faculty or Unit

• Submits proposals for standard and non-standard tuition fees, and fees for credit course travel or materials fees, to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)
• Submits proposals for non-credit instructional fees (when related to a faculty or unit-level offering) to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

Consequences for Noncompliance

Non-compliance with this policy when setting standard tuition rates may result in a lack of resources to provide quality programming or non-competitive tuition rates resulting in student recruitment and retention issues. 

Non-compliance with the process to implement or increase a non-standard tuition fee, fee for credit course materials, or other fee, may result in fees not being approved in a timely fashion. This will negatively impact revenue and could result in delay of implementing programs.

Employees who implement a non-standard tuition fee or fee for credit or non-credit courses without prior approval may be subject to disciplinary action.

Processes

Setting Standard Tuition

• In the annual Comprehensive Budget Plan presented for approval to the Board, a description of the following is included:
  • efforts and accomplishments in generating additional revenue for the University;
  • efforts and accomplishments in containing and reducing costs and re-allocating resources in ways that do not impair quality, create increased risk to the mission, or defer reasonable expenditures; and
  • a description of efforts to increase sources of funding to students such as scholarships or campus employment opportunities.
• The proposal to the Board for changes in tuition will contain the following information, if available:
  
  • the level of tuition and tuition increases anticipated at other universities in the region and nationally;
  • relevant information on the student assistance environment, graduate debt loads and repayment experience, graduate employment rates, and the return on investment in university education;
  • relevant information on changes in other costs experienced by students at the University of Regina and elsewhere; and,
  • a discussion of how the foregoing factors have influenced the determination of the proposed tuition increases.

Setting Non-Standard Tuition

The following factors will be considered in the establishment and distribution of non-standard tuition fees and should be included in the proposal from the faculty or academic unit, where applicable:

• Demand – Proposals should include estimates of anticipated student enrolment, demand for the program, the employment demand or opportunities for graduates and regional and national economic impact. An estimate of the potential new students including those who might otherwise not attend the University should be included.
• Business Plan – A realistic budget plan that describes the additional costs anticipated for development, operational, administrative (or overhead), and capital. These may be one-time or permanent. Revenue estimates, including tuition revenue and revenue sharing should be identified.
• Fee description – The established fee will be based on the program costs plus incentives and overhead costs. Proposals should include phasing-in of students currently in the program, if applicable.
• Institutional costs – The offering of a program that has a non-standard tuition fee may result in increased costs to various support units on campus (e.g. Student Affairs, Financial Services, Registrar’s Office, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research). Such (overhead) costs should be estimated as a percentage of the non-standard tuition fee and will be allocated to the centre.
• Library costs – A proposal should include the costs of the additional library requirements and how they will be funded (e.g. budget transfer from academic unit).
• Student support – The need for scholarship and bursary assistance to students in the program should be addressed.
• Programs offered jointly with Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) – Proposals for programs developed and offered through the Centre for Continuing Education will include a fee sharing agreement to reflect the involvement of CCE, the home faculty and the University.

Setting Other Instructional Fees

The Provost and Vice-President (Academic) retains the delegated authority to approve all other instructional fees as may be required, including but not limited to non-credit courses, community-based programs, and credit course travel and materials.

Related Information

• GOV-010-020 Authority to Set Fees for Non-Instructional Goods and Services
• Special Fee Approval Form (requires employee login to UR Source)