New Brunswick Aims to Make Tuition More Affordable

CBC News announced that the New Brunswick provincial government and its four public universities are working together to create a four-year funding model.

The plan is designed to give students more financial certainty and will allow students to better plan for how they will pay for their post-secondary education.

The funding plan will be similar to the structure in place in Nova Scotia and will allow the universities to set up a four-year payment schedule to ease the financial burden for students.

The provincial government also said that New Brunswick Community College and The New Brunswick College of Craft and Design will undertake similar initiatives.

Officials said they aren’t sure how many would- be students would be more inclined to study in New Brunswick with a four-year funding plan in place. However, payment options may be attractive for many families and individuals who rank costs as a high factor when comparing post-secondary schools.

University funding levels will be released later in 2011 in the March provincial budget.

New Brunswick is currently home to Mount Allison University, University of New Brunswick, Atlantic Baptist University, and Lansbridge University. Earlier this year, Meritus University announced it would cease accepting students in March, citing low enrollment numbers.