TORONTO - Dramatic tuition hikes must be part of a recession survival plan for Canada's post-secondary institutions, warns an education think-tank.
Colleges and universities must consider charging more if they hope to avoid diluting the quality of education during the economic crisis, says the report by the non-profit Educational Policy Institute.
The report predicts fee hikes of up to 25 per cent in the next couple of years which would generate $1 billion to $2 billion for recession-hit campuses.
Caught between the surge in enrolment that happens in every recession, and the looming slowdown in government grants and private donations, Canada's colleges and universities must consider hiking fees.
It would also boost student aid and cut the ranks of big-ticket senior staff, said the report.
The good news, say the authors, is that many Canadians can afford to pay more.
