Reposted from the Langara Voice – Mar 18, 2026
Tuition increases expected by impending release of provincial review
Schools request that two per cent cap be removed
By LIAM CLARKE
A provincial government review examining the financial sustainability of B.C.’s 25 public colleges and universities has created fear among faculty and students that tuition will increase.
The provincial government knows that “the status quo is not sustainable,” and “tuition increases are explicitly on the table,” said Debi Herrera Lira, chairperson of the B.C. Federation of Students. “The government is considering asking students to pay more, while also refusing to commit to new public funding.”
The federal government’s recent limits on international student study permits have reduced enrolment and revenue for many of B.C.’s post-secondary institutions. Langara’s projected deficit has doubled from $16 million to $32 million in the past six months, and 219 instructors have been laid off. The provincial government launched a review to establish a plan to keep B.C.’s post-secondary system financially sustainable.
Taking the lid off tuition
Herrera Lira said some post-secondary institutions have asked the provincial government to remove the two per cent annual tuition cap.
Lifting the tuition cap will make higher education less accessible, said Niall Christie, a history instructor at Langara.
“If you create a situation where colleges and universities can charge whatever they want for tuition, we go back to a situation where education becomes increasingly available to only the financial elite,” Christie said. “What the higher education sector needs is more funding.”
Sarah Warr, a first-year psychology student at Langara, said she came to Langara because it was cheaper than other schools.
“I’m paying for my tuition myself. It won’t help if they make it more expensive than it needs to be,” said Warr.
“I’d be pissed” if tuition at Langara was increased, said Bodhi Cutler, a second-year fine arts student at Langara.
“I already feel like I don’t get enough resources for the amount of money that I pay,” Cutler said.
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