Law faculties lead the way in terms of tuition fee increases for the 2002/03 academic year, Statistics Canada reports, but they still rank a distant third to medical and dental faculties in overall fees charged.
Tuition fees for law students increased by 15% this year, to an average of $5020. The second largest increase was in medicine — up 8.1%, to $8062 — followed by dentistry, up 6.6%, to $9703. The lowest fees for professional training are in education, with would-be teachers paying an average of $3019, up 3.7%.
The results for medical and dental schools are skewed because of Ontario's decision to deregulate tuition fees for professional programs. Thus, while medical students at the University of Montreal still pay tuition fees of around $3000 a year, their counterparts at the University of Toronto pay about $15 000. In 2001/02, when average fees in Ontario were approaching $13 000, medical students in Quebec's 4 schools were paying less than $2900.
This year, researchers reported that financial concerns among Ontario students are affecting their decisions about what or where to practise (CMAJ 2002;166[8]:1023-8).
Dr. George Sweetnam, president of the Canadian Dental Association, says rising tuition fees are also having an impact in dental education, with 16% of faculty positions at the country's 10 dental schools currently vacant. In a presentation to the House of Commons Finance Committee in fall 2001, he said many potential dental educators are being wooed by US programs that offer to pay off debts incurred during their student years.
The CMA chairs the National Professional Association Coalition on Tuition, which represents 9 professional groups (see www.cma.ca). Its main goals are regulated tuition fees and increased federal funding to lessen the pressures driving fee increases. — Patrick Sullivan, CMAJ