The Latest British Invasion

Got a complaint about tuition fees? At least you’re not in the UK.

A phenomenon referred to as the “tuition regime” has arisen as the British government announced it is cutting school funding and raising the university tuition fees cap to £9,000 (that’s around $14,500 CAD), according to The Guardian.

Although many universities have announced tuition fee increases of between £7,500 and £9,000, the Daily Mail reports most university programs should only be costing students around £6,000. Students are digging in their heels; according to the same Daily Mail article, the National Union of Students in Scotland has no intention of accepting tuition hikes.

In addition to this, the Independent reports that universities will be cutting as many as 5,000 courses, as a result of the rising costs of education.

The tensions and bitterness surrounding UK university fees could result in an influx of British students deflecting to Canada; tuition increases on their home turf make the U of W’s international student fees downright affordable in comparison, and the U of W is doing its best to make sure prospective students know this.

In an interview on international student issues, Jason Brennan, Director of Recruitment at the U of W, mentioned that the university is advertising its comparable tuition fees to our British comrades.

Numbers are not confirmed, but Brennan says many UK families he spoke to are seriously considering the idea of shipping their students south. Be prepared for every possible Britain-related pun to hit headlines next year; The British are coming.