EDMONTON—Faculty and students at the University of Alberta are expecting possible tuition increases and cuts to funding, indicating an uncertain financial future for the province’s biggest university.

The university’s president, David Turpin, told faculty and students Tuesday during his annual remarks that he anticipates changes will take place “immediately” in the aftermath of the United Conservatives’ first budget, to be released on Oct. 24.

“Being uncertain about the outcome of the provincial budget is not … new to us,” Turpin said. “However, I recognize that there is a heightened sense of uncertainty this year.”

Turpin mentioned possible cuts to administrative expenses and said that tuition may need to increase to help offset the financial strain that may be in store. Tuition has been frozen in the province since 2015 by legislation introduced by the previous Alberta NDP government.

While the budget hasn’t been released yet, anticipation has led to some anxiety due to the MacKinnon report on Alberta finances, which recommended significant cuts and overhauls to the province’s public services to offset Alberta’s $6.7 billion deficit. Premier Jason Kenney said the report will be taken into consideration as his government drafts its first budget.

The report recommends the funding model for post-secondary institutions should follow a mix similar to what is in place in British Columbia and Ontario. This means relying less on government grants and more on tuition and “alternative revenue sources.” The report goes on to recommend lifting the current freeze on tuition fees.

In a statement to Star Edmonton, Laurie Chandler, spokesperson for advanced education minister Demetrios Nicolaides, said while tuition remains frozen at the 2015 level at this time, the ministry is aware of concerns “that extending the freeze will negatively impact the quality of education and services provided to students.”

It’s unclear how much tuition will increase if the freeze is lifted, but Rachel Notley, leader of the opposition, said she estimates students will go from paying 18 per cent of the overall costs of post-secondary institutions to upward of 35 per cent. She said this estimate comes from the MacKinnon report’s recommendation to reflect the systems in place in B.C. and Ontario.

Chandler said Nicolaides refutes this. “Any decisions will take into account student affordability and accessibility, but claims of doubling tuition are outrageous and false.”

But regardless of how much tuition will increase, the financial uncertainty has left some students worried. First-year political science and classics student Alexander Dowsey said the cap on tuition increases provided “a stable and predictable model” for students, who were able to budget for their tuition costs without fear of them increasing.

“It feels almost like a violation of trust,” Dowsey said of a possible tuition increase. “We always hope that our government will be doing their best to support young people.”

Adam Brown, vice-president external at the University of Alberta’s student union, said Turpin’s remarks on a possible increase in tuition were not surprising, as most are anticipating the MacKinnon report’s recommendations to have a significant impact on post-secondary funding.

Tuition, Brown said, will remain capped for the 2019-2020 school year, but may increase afterward depending on what the province decides to do. He said the student union is hoping the tuition freeze remains intact. If not, Brown said he hopes the government will increase tuition by the rate of inflation.

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Brown added he hopes the government will consider revamping the current student loan system in Alberta, which he called “one of the worst in the country,” due to its disproportionate ratio of grants versus loans, having students end up owing more in debt compared with the loan system in Ontario.

“There’s a lot of speculation certainly going on right now,” Brown said.

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