April 8, 2022
Province Seeks Input through EngageMB Survey to Inform Future Tuition and Student Fee Policy
The Manitoba government has launched a new survey through EngageMB to consult with post-secondary partners, students and the public to obtain input that will inform the development of a new tuition and student fee policy, Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes announced today.
“We are committed to ensuring tuition increases for post-secondary institutions occur at a rate that is realistic for students to afford, but also provides colleges and universities enough funds for the delivery of high-quality programming now and into the future,” said Reyes. “Our government values the feedback we receive from stakeholders and we anticipate the information we receive will help us identify priorities and considerations for the development of a tuition fee and student fee policy.”
Until recently, the Advanced Education Administration Act used a formula of consumer price index plus five per cent to set the maximum allowable tuition increase every year for post-secondary institutions. In 2021, the Advanced Education Administration Amendment Act (Bill 33) removed the previous formula and established government’s authority to implement guidelines and regulations to regulate university and college tuition and fees.
The minister noted the survey on EngageMB is one part of a broader consultation plan guided by the principles of:
- affordability and accessibility for students,
- financial sustainability for institutions,
- high-quality instructional programming, and
- understanding tuition and student fee policy as part of a broader strategic framework.
The survey is targeted at Manitoba’s public post-secondary partners, including colleges and universities, student associations, faculty associations, students, Indigenous communities, business and industry, and the broader public.
“The release of the public survey marks the next step in our broader consultation plan,” said Reyes. “We have already consulted with post-secondary institution administration and student associations, and work is underway to reach out to faculty associations. We also invite all Manitobans to participate in this online survey and provide feedback.”
The minister noted the post-secondary tuition and student fee policy will not take effect until the 2023-24 academic year, giving post-secondary partners time to adjust to any new requirements.
The online survey is now available and will close on May 21. To take part, visit https://engagemb.ca/.
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