UPEI Students Freeze for Tuition

Despite the freezing rain and despite the bitter winds, three dozen stu- dents slept in tents and igloos on campus last week before driving to the provincial legislature on the back on Opposition Leader Ron MacKinley's hay wagon.

Why? To protest rising tuition costs. UPEI has announced a likely increase of four to six per cent in time for the fall semester, adding anywhere from $154 to $232 to a student's tuition cost. (The cost of one course is $387.) UPEI has one of the lowest tuition costs of the Maritime Universities, compared to schools like Acadia, where students pay about $6,500, but Island stu- dents are still asking the provincial government to increase funding to their school.

"To see a tuition freeze would be very nice," says Student Union President Chris Power. "We want to see fees at a level where they're realistic."

Tuesday night, about 20 students spent the night behind the dining hall, packed into tents and an igloo. Freezing rain, however, began in early evening, making it a wet, miserable night for the protesting students.

Even on Wednesday, it seemed as though the weather did not want to co- — operate: a hard wind blew as the students travelled to the legislature on the back of Ron MacKinley's hay wagon, holding bright yellow signs. While at the legisla-

Close to three dozen people showed up

ture, students met with several politicians, including provincial treasurer Pat Mella, Opposition Leader Ron MacKinley and NDP Leader Gary Robichaud.

Basically, says Power, the govern- ment said the same things it has been say- ing - that they need to have the federal government dole out more cash - and Power is not optimistic there will be a tuition freeze next year.

"It was the same answer we get every time," he says of the meeting with government officials. "We haven't been

too successful in freezing tuition for the last few years."

Still, he is pleted with how the protest turned out, even if the weather dis- suaded many people from attending. While the government did not offer any- thing new, Power says the mission of the protest was to put the student's concerns . into the public eye. Considering the media attention garnered by the protests, covered by the local media, it is quite possible. more people are thinking about the cost of higher education.

Though a cap on tuition for next year is part of the request, the Student Union would also like to see government

Old Cadres do their part to help keep the tenters warm

invest in maintenance of the buildings on campus, as well as new ones.

The Student Union met with Mella two weeks ago to dis- cuss the matter, but didn't get any promises tuition costs will stay frozen for one year. Multi-year tuition freezes, says Power, are not a good idea, as in British Columbia, some universities are raising tuition 30 per cent after long tuition freezes.

While it does- n't look like tuition is | going to be capped for | the fall semester, Power says there prob- ably will be changes to provincial student loans to help Island students pay for uni- versity's rising cost.

A big igloo, with four protest-campers

What whould be a protest without Blair Ross?

-@ CHEESE BURGERS 3 MOZZA POUTINES _ LARGE ONION RINGS