Major Tuition Cuts Give UPEI Competitive Edge

The recently-elected government in PEI won't bring its budget down until later this summer but the Board of Governors at the University of Prince Edward Island isn't waiting until then to confirm a major decrease in tuition costs. The Board has just approved tuition cuts of 10 per cent for graduate and undergraduate programs, making UPEI one of the most competitive universities in the region.

"The cost of education at UPEI has always been good value. Implementing this 10 per cent cut gives our University even more of a competitive edge. It means our tuition will be substantially lower than the average at Maritime universities," said the Chair of the UPEI Board of Governors, Fred Hyndman. "We are especially pleased to include graduate students who are key to the growth of UPEI and to an innovative economy in the region."

The cuts are backed by a pre-budget financial commitment from the PEI Minister of Education Gerard Greenan and they follow a previous announcement by UPEI that it is offering $50,000 in new scholarships and awards for graduate students this year.

"This acknowledges the important role that graduate students play in the research and campus communities," said Colleen MacDougall, president of the UPEI Graduate Student Association. "As a growing body on campus, our organization is encouraged to know that our distinct needs are being recognized by the Province and by the University."

"This announcement also strengthens UPEI's appeal as a great small university for all incoming students," said fourth-year math student Lucas Squires who is the coordinator of new student orientation at UPEI.

UPEI placed fifth in the 2006 Maclean's rankings of 21 primarily undergraduate universities, and was Canada's top university for student-faculty interaction in the 2006 National Survey of Student Engagement.