Math Courses at the University of Ottawa
3 Jun 2020
International Tuition Increasing Much Faster Than Domestic Tuition at the University of Ottawa
Daniel
In the coming academic year, Doug Ford's changes to higher education will have a significant impact on students in Ontario, especially for international students.
For instance, all Ontario universities are searching to offset a substantial loss in revenue that will incur due to a mandatory ten per cent drop in domestic student’s tuition as proposed by the province.
As a solution, some universities, like the University of Windsor, are seeking to increase tuition fees for international students, to compensate for this expected revenue loss.
We looked at the trends in tuition and enrolment at the University of Ottawa from 2006 to 2017 to better understand how international tuition and enrolment compares to domestic tuition and enrolment and how this distinction has changed over time, and what to expect from the many changes proposed by Ford's government.
Our report found that the University of Ottawa has been depending more on international students over the years for revenue purposes.
This study was created to help international students better understand the impacts of Doug Ford’s policies on higher education in Ontario.
*When a year is stated, it is the beginning of that academic year. (ie. 2006 refers to the 2006-2007 academic year)
*Data was collected mainly from CUDO (Common University Data Ontario) by the Council of Ontario Universities, school documents such as tuition fee schedules and school-specific CUDO data.
*Tuition fee data was based on the tuition cost for an average undergraduate arts and science full-time degree as this is the metric CUDO uses as a common metric among all Ontario universities.
*The tuition fees stated below refer to the tuition cost for the first-year of studies.
University of Ottawa Tuition Fees
International Students' Tuition Fees Surged Almost Three Times More Than Domestic Tuition
International tuition increased at a rate almost three times higher than domestic tuition at UOttawa.
The University of Ottawa has been increasing tuition rates for international students at much higher rates than domestic increase rates to capitalize on incoming international students.
The tuition fee for international students increased by 68.86 per cent over the period of 12 years, whereas, the tuition fee for domestic students only increased by 23.64 per cent, which is a difference of almost 3x.
In Terms of Dollars, Tuition for International Students Increased 11x More Than Domestic Students, Annually
2006-2008 tuition data is unavailable.
The average tuition fee for international students increased by $1252 annually, whereas, for domestic students, the increase in tuition was only $111.
This significant difference among annual tuition increases for domestic and international students depicts the university's focus on international students for further monetary gains.
Data is unavailable for international students for 2006 and 2008.
On a yearly basis, the tuition fee for international students increased dramatically when compared with domestic student’s tuition fees.
The data depicted above is in 2017 dollars and clearly shows the significant difference between the annual increases in international and domestic tuition fees.
For example, in 2007, international tuition was $16,193, whereas, in 2017 it was $27,343 which is an increase of $11,150.
However, for domestic students, it was $5,312 in 2007 and only increased to $6,568 in 2017, which is an increase of only $1,256.
Except for year 2009-2010 when there was no difference in tuition fee increase, the tuition fee for international students increased significantly more than domestic tuition each year.
From 2010 to 2017, tuition for international students increased 3 to 4 times more than that of domestic students for most years.
For instance, from 2014-2015, tuition for international students increased by 9.13 per cent, whereas, for domestic students it only increased by 2.18 per cent, which is a difference of more than 4x.
*International Student Fees NOTE:
One important thing to note is that the fees being used to calculate international fees do not include ancillary fees, UHIP, Ontario's International Recovery Fee, etc.
Although ancillary fees are typically equal for both domestic and international students, extra fees such as UHIP and Ontario's International Recovery Fee could add an additional $1000-$2000 to an international student's yearly fees.
Which would further widen the gap between total international and domestic fees.
*Enrolment data is based on both full time and part time students for all levels of degrees including Bachelor’s and 1st Professional Degrees, Master’s Degrees, and Doctoral Degrees.
University of Ottawa Enrolment
International Enrolment Increased 22.5x More Than Domestic Enrolment from 2006 to 2017
The focus of UOttawa in increasing international student enrolment far more than domestic enrolment is clearly evident.
International enrolment at the University of Ottawa increased by 237.32 per cent over the period of 12 years, whereas, domestic enrolment only increased by 10.52 per cent over the same period of time.
From 1,597 international students enrolled in 2006 to 5,387 students in 2017, the increase in international enrolments was substantial. However, domestic enrolments only increased from 29,852 in 2006 to 32,993 in 2017.
University of Ottawa Student Enrolment Breakdown
International student’s enrolment in 2017 was 3.37x more than what it was in 2006.
Domestic enrolment increased slowly until 2012 and gradually dropped down from 2012 to 2017.
Looking at domestic and international enrolment over the years, it is evident that the University of Ottawa has been primarily focused on growing international student enrolment over domestic enrolment.
On Average, International Enrolment Increased 13x More Than Domestic Enrolment Each Year
The difference in annual increase rates shows the focus on international enrolment over domestic enrolment.
International enrolment, on average, grew by 12.23 per cent annually, whereas domestic enrolment only increased by 0.94 per cent.
On an annual basis, it is evident that the University of Ottawa is more focused on increasing international enrolments.
From 2010 and on, the year-over-year international enrolment increase outpaced domestic enrolment by drastic amounts.
After 2012, while international enrolment was still increasing each year, domestic enrolment started to decline.
The Proportion of International Students Tripled at the University of Ottawa from 2006 to 2017
Proportion of international students at University of Ottawa increased from 5.35 per cent in 2006 to 16.33 per cent in 2017.
As the years have gone by, the proportion of international students at the University of Ottawa has been steadily increasing each year.
After 2012, the proportion exceeded the Ontario average and continued to climb.
We can conclude that over the period of past 12 years, the University of Ottawa was more focused on the intake of international students over domestic students.
Higher tuition fees for international students and strategies focused on increasing international enrolments is clear evidence of the university's increasing reliance on international students for revenue generation.
After the implementation of Ford’s policies, it is very likely that international tuition fees will continue to increase and international students must consider these factors.
Notes:
*Ancillary fees, Incidental fees, UHIP, Ontario’s International Recovery fee, and any other fees were excluded from calculations; only tuition fees were included.
*Enrolment data was collected from CUDO by the Council of Ontario Universities.
*See here for a similar analysis but on Ontario as a whole:Â
Ontario Universities' Increasing Reliance on International Students
Sources:
University of Ottawa CUDO Data
CUDO Tool by the Council of Ontario Universities
Related:
Ontario Universities' Increasing Reliance on International Students
Students Say Ford's Performance-Based Funding is Misguided
Queen’s University by the Numbers: An Intuitive Financial Analysis For Students
Should Higher-Ed Admissions Be Federally Regulated?
Author: daniel @ oneclass . com
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