AUSU Update

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IMPORTANT DATES

Jan 24: AUSU Election – Nominations Open
Jan 30: Deadline to apply for course extension for Mar
Feb 7: AUSU Election – Nominations Close
Feb 10: Deadline to register in a course starting Mar 1
Feb 12: AUSU Election – Candidates Announced
Feb 15: Mar degree requirements deadline

AUSU Response to the Athabasca University Tuition Increase

Athabasca University students were disappointed to learn that a proposal to increase tuition by 7% was approved by the Board of Governors of Athabasca University, despite strong opposition to the increase being voiced by both undergraduate and graduate students. The proposal was in response to the cut of $1.6 million to Athabasca University’s operating grant and $1.7 million in infrastructure funding in the 2019 Government of Alberta budget in October.

The increase was set at the largest possible increase allowable by the provincial government, at 7%. This increase was also applied to tuition fees paid by international and out-of-province students. Including the increase to the mandatory Learning Resources Fee, a single undergraduate course for Alberta students has increased by $43. However, depending on a student’s program, location of their residence, and the number of courses taken in a year, the increase can be substantially more – a degree program for out-of-province students, for example, will see tuition and fees rise from $34,570 for the program to $36,840, with the possibility of more increases in the next two years.

AUSU issued a media release on December 17 about the impact of the tuition increase for AU students, including statements from the AUSU President and VP External & Student Affairs.

Read the full AUSU Media Release about this online here.

AUSU Open Mic Podcast

Episode 19: Breaking Down Barriers for Indigenous Students

In our latest AUSU Open Mic Episode, AUSU chats with two Athabasca University students to discuss the barriers that face indigenous students when going to university – and some of the ways distance education can help make post-secondary education more accessible for our indigenous communities.

Starring: AU student Alisha Gordon, VPEX Natasha Donahue, and Governance and Advocacy Coordinator Duncan Wojtaszek