Carleton’s 2015-16 school year operating budget features tuition fee increases, an increase to the Accessibility Fund by the provincial government, and additional money allocated to student support.
The operating budget, presented at April’s Board of Governors (BoG) meeting by vice-president (finance) Duncan Watt, totals up to $414 million, 56 per cent of which is tuition fees.
Government grants also make up a large portion of the operating budget, covering 39 per cent of the total. The rest is made up of interest and miscellaneous income.
Tuition Fees
A domestic undergraduate tuition fee increase of three per cent is expected for the 2015-16 year. Watt said domestic tuition will continue to increase by this amount until the year 2021.
Most undergraduate programs will see no change from the 2014-15 tuition fees. However, third-year architecture, engineering, computer science, and information technology students will see an increase of five per cent, up from four per cent last year.
Watt’s presentation also stated most upper-year graduate tuition fees will be frozen. However, a recent Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) membership advisory said some graduate tuition fees have increased more than the capped amount.
GSA president Michael Bueckert said the increases were fixed by senior administration after the GSA brought the issue to their attention.
International students’ tuition fees are set to increase by eight per cent from last year. Carleton’s international student fees are “competitively priced” compared to other Ontario universities, according to Watt.
Watt’s budget presentation also referenced the Task Force’s report on tuition increases, and said a tuition increase of zero per cent is not economically feasible for the university.
Alternatives, such as seeking higher undergraduate enrolment, would lower entry standards and crowd facilities, according to the presentation.
Watt said cutting costs in the budget will impact the student experience in a negative way, and therefore is not a good option.
Student aid and support
A total of $29 million, or seven per cent, of the operating budget is set aside for student aid, according to the budget presentation. $2.4 million was set aside for student support, which includes bursaries and scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students.
Watt said the total amount Carleton spent in 2014-15 out of the operating budget for student support was around $66 million. He said the $2.4 million figure presents an addition to what was spent last year.
The Accessibility Fund, a grant for refining safety features on campus and assisting students with disabilities, was awarded $2.5 million from the provincial government this year, with hopes that it will improve the overall student experience on campus.
Maintenance, pension plans, and other expenses
As Carleton enters the new term, it will be in a surplus of $20 million. Roughly $6.5 million of that will be transferred to offset the expenses throughout the year. The remaining sum will be carried towards building maintenance and pension plans.
$12 million is to be set aside in the next three years to contribute to Carleton’s pension plan fund.
The budget for deferred maintenance has been increased to $14 million this year, up from $6.75 million in last year’s budget. An additional $7 million is set aside for an additional floor in the new Health Science Building.
$3.9 million is set aside for a new Sprott School of Business building, adding on top of a $10 million dollar donation to Carleton received earlier in the 2014-15 school year. The university estimates it will need another $31 million to complete the project.
New faculty members also make up a portion of the budget. Carleton is set to hire faculty for its new programs, including the Masters of Accounting and Bachelor of Health Sciences. Faculty salaries account for $221 million, or 53 per cent, of the budget.
The budget presentation also states $1.1 million is to be set aside on advertising and public relations for the university.
