The Lamb Learner Success Centre at SAIT eases the financial burden on students
Lala Ahmad is sitting in the Lamb Learner Success Centre in the Stan Grad building at SAIT, Calgary on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Photo by Jyoti Jyoti/The Press)
Paying tuition fees can be challenging, especially for international students, as they are required to pay three times the amount compared to domestic students.
According to the Statistics Canada report, in the 2022–23 academic year, the average domestic student in Canada paid $6,834 in tuition, while the average international student paid nearly six times that amount at $36,123.
The Lamb Learner Success Centre at SAIT could help students in various ways to assist them in managing their financial burden. One such option is the tuition installment plan, which divides the tuition for the applied semester into three equal monthly payments, and students are supposed to pay the full semester tuition within three months.
Students from 3rd semester of their program onwards are qualified for this plan and need to be registered in three or more courses or a minimum of nine credits. They must have a valid study permit that will not expire during the term they are applying for, and they must have the savings to make their first installment tuition payment.
“Business students are the number one stream, with students applying more for installments, and then hospitality. These are the most preferred installments,” said Nancy Agumagu.
Students will need to complete an online application and upload all the required documents. The documents they require are a copy of their study permit, three months' most recent bank statement, a paystub if they are working, and a check to see if their direct deposit is not showing on their bank statement. If they have a family member who will be contributing towards their fees, they will need a letter of commitment.
The applications for the spring semester will begin on March 25 and continue until May 3.
LSC also provides help with other resources, such as academic coaching, tutoring, financial advice, and transfer options.
“In the last winter semester, we had over 300 applications from international students, and for this spring semester, I am expecting more than 300 students, and for four semesters, I am expecting two times more than this ratio,” adds Agumagu.
Students can visit their office in the Stan Grad Centre, Room MC221, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Several other factors are responsible for students not paying their fees easily, such as fewer jobs, high rents on accommodations, and expensive groceries.
A Global Affairs Canada report said international students in Canada spend $22.3 billion on tuition, accommodation, and discretionary spending every year. They are the major source of labor in Canada, but Canada is facing a shortage of jobs, which is creating problems for students to pay their fees.
