Study Says BC University Students Pay Their Fair Share of Tuition

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says British Columbia’s university students pay enough for their degrees, and more.

They recently released a study called, “Paid in Full: Who Pays for University Education in BC.” They analysed the contribution that BC’s students make towards their degrees, via upfront tuition fees and after-graduation income taxes.

They found that the average female degree-holder contributes $106,000 more to the public treasury over their working careers than a woman with a high school diploma. They also found that male degree-holders will contribute $159,000 more than men with only a high school diploma.

“Despite the current high levels of youth unemployment, the reality is that university graduates are more likely to be employed at full-time jobs, and experience shorter spells of unemployment than their peers with high school diplomas,” said economist and study author Iglika Ivanova.

“Graduates earn more and pay higher income taxes as a result. The extra tax revenues are, in effect, a form of payment that students make for their education and should be recognized as such.”

On average, a four-year undergraduate degree in British Columbia costs $50,630.