Costs of Canadian universities to rise over the next four years
School fees at Canadian universities are projected to increase by a university average of 13 per cent from $6,886 this fall to $7,755 over the next four years, according to a report released earlier this month by Canadian Centre for Police Alternatives.
Provincial funding for universities is insufficient, the report said. The resulting funding gap drives universities to push more costs onto students by charging additional compulsory fees on top of tuition.
“What we are seeing are some institutions actually implementing new fees entirely: fees to graduate, for example, or facilities fees,” said Erika Shaker, director of the education project at Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
With files from The Canadian Press
U of T tops Canadian universities on World Rankings list
In this year’s new QS World University Rankings, released on September 16, U of T rose above all other Canadian universities to place 20th. It was closely followed by McGill in the 21st spot.
Overall, 18 out of 20 of Canada’s top-ranking universities — including SFU, which placed 222 — showed strong improvement in their standings; SFU moved up 22 spots from the 2013 rankings.
QS noted that “the strongest indicator for the improvement of Canadian institutions in the past year was that of academic reputation.”
With files from The Montreal Gazette
McGill-led projects awarded Brain Canada grants
Thirty-two projects at McGill University received major grants under the Canada Brain Research Fund. Four projects, led by researchers in the neurological field, were aimed at understanding the functions and dysfunctions of the nervous system and their impact on health.
This research will help to better our understanding of the nervous system and lead to new methods of diagnosis for all types of neurological and mental illnesses.
“The team grants and platforms we are announcing today showcase Canada’s important contributions to the global effort to understand the brain and brain diseases,” said Inez Jabalpurwala, president and CEO of Brain Canada.
With files from McGill University News and Events
