Tuition hikes, AI access and student wellbeing: SLC meets with UCalgary provosts for final tuition and fees proposal
By Elaine Liang, December 2 2025—
The University of Calgary’s Tuition and Fees Consultation Committee (TFCC) met with the Students’ Legislative Council (SLC) on Nov. 4 to share the final tuition and fees proposal, as well as new student resources and updates on the university’s reviews and initiatives.
Updates were presented by TFCC members: Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Dr. Sandra Davidson, Deputy Provost Dr. Robin Yates, Vice Provost (Academic Planning and Strategy) Dr. Christine Johns, Vice-Provost (Student Experience) Dr. Verity Turpin and the Associate Registrar for Information and Admissions & Recruitment Jennifer de Roaldes.
Tuition and fees
The 2026-2027 fees proposal is moving forward. This includes a two per cent increase in domestic tuition for undergraduate programs. The TFCC had initially proposed a four to six per cent increase in tuition for international students, but decided on four per cent.
“After hearing that our international students are disproportionately affected, we’ve landed on the 4 per cent, the lower rate…[providing] a little bit of breathing room and more certainty for international students,” said Davidson.
Mandatory non-instructional fees (MNIFs) will be increasing by 4 per cent.
“[The SU] is disappointed that the university plans to proceed with raising mandatory non-instructional fees by four per cent again this year,” said Vice President External Julia Law.
“The proposed 4 per cent rate is also higher than the University of Alberta’s internal inflation mess, which stands at 3 per cent this year,” Law added. “The university has yet to explain why MNIF funded offices are such institutional outliers. If they’re really not expensive to run, it implies a management issue, not an inflationary one. Given this context, can you please explain why the UofC is so uniquely sensitive to inflation even more so than its closest U15 neighbour, the University of Alberta?”
“What we charge for inflationary costs is not even cost recovery and that we ourselves are subsidizing the cost of these services,” Davidson said in response to Law’s question.
“We’re one of the lowest U15 in MNIFs. So whether they’re four or three per cent, the University of Calgary students are getting some of the best [of the] industry’s standards with respect to value for money,” Yates emphasized.
The university is currently subsidizing MNIFs by around $16 million.
During the question period, Faculty of Engineering Representative Emmanuel Fasesan asked about where the money the university is using to subsidize MNIFs is coming from. Yates stated that it is a part of the budgetary process after calculating a forecast using enrolment projections.
The final tuition and fees proposal was presented to the Finance and Property Committee for recommendation to the Board on Nov. 17. The Board of Governors meeting will take place on Dec. 12 for approval of the proposal.
Artificial intelligence (AI) in student learning
As AI becomes an increasingly important factor in the world, the university has been working on how generative AI can be integrated into the learning environment. Turpin said that a common question regarding IT and digital platforms is whether or not the university has equitable access to the platforms. A specific example is generative AI.
“Sometimes students have to pay for more advanced subscriptions,” Turpin stated. “Copilot is now available to all students…and it’s paid for by the institution. How [we] spread that information and [making] sure that all students are aware that the platform is available to all of you to support your academics in ways that is being supported by your instructive faculties.”
Arts Faculty Representative Simchah Atanda asked about whether the university has an AI policy in place for the introduction of Copilot.
“[AI] is moving so quickly and so capital policy is really not the way to go. We’re working with guidelines at the moment and so these guidelines can live in real time and we can update them as the technology evolves,” Yates replied. “Investment in things like Copilot [costs] money. However, we can no longer be in the Dark Ages. We have to enable our students during their education to embrace AI responsibly… because this is going to be something that they’re going to face in the workforce.”
Yates also highlighted the importance of protecting the privacy and the intellectual property of our students and our professors.
”[We’re] making sure that the data that we feed Copilot stays within our world…and is not used nefariously or to train AI bots externally to the U of C. So that’s why we’re heavily invested in it,” said Yates.
Supporting student wellbeing and academics
Initiatives to support student wellbeing were also discussed.
“The U of C has a Community Mental Health and Well-being Strategy,” Turpin said. “We’re right now in the midst of UFlourish programming which supports our students as well as our entire community in terms of understanding and amplifying all the work that we do across the community to support our wellbeing.”
Turpin emphasized the high level of student engagement that is being used to continue developing mental health support.
“We are capturing voices across this institution of students through, for example, our Campus Wellbeing Survey that we were going to launch in 2026, but I’m thrilled to say that our province of Alberta and our government has asked all post-secondary institutions to launch this survey together in cycle in 2027. So as post-secondary institutions, we have information from all of our students at the same time,” said Turpin.
In support of student success in academics, the university is prioritizing completing reviews of academic advising. All processes will involve students through strategies including institutional surveys.
Faculty of Medicine Representative Nikhil Srivalsan asked about when the review is expected to be completed. Turpin replied that it is anticipated to be completed in 12 to 18 months before recommendations are delivered.
Upcoming SLC meeting agendas can be accessed on the SU website.