Who cares, hit them for all the money we can, anything to keep the tuition down for the sons and daughters of our taxpayers and also our future tax payers, This article is so full of generalities its not even funny, sure some of the local students are rich and some of the international students are poor, but some of the international students are very rich and I have friend graduating with huge student loans. If you don't like it try going to the states and see how much it is there... cry me a river....

The 'International Student' program has become one that exploits students, now from elementary to post-secondary. It is disgraceful and deceitful and Canadians should be ashamed of it. It is driven by chronic government underfunding, but check out the number of current and former administrators who enjoy great trips, hefty remuneration and perks for setting up these 'programs'and recruiting CHILDREN away from their homes, families, culture and country -for profit!!! One sometimes wonders how these 'caring educators' live with themselves - I suppose they rationalize that they are doing these kids a great favour. Just don't be surprised when these young folks feel totally justified to exploit back - whatever form that may take -

Its a voluntary program, if they think it is exploitive they can elect not to go into it and go somewhere else... This is a capitalist society, deal with it. Supply and demand curves rule the day. Why should we invest our tax dollars to fund another countries economy, especialy china who have a very strong economic base. Hate to break it to you but summer camps recruit children away from there homes as well, again the parents don't have to send them. I am in no way ashamed of this practice, in fact I support it. If you don't like the price, don't buy it.

International graduate student subsidies should and probably will be continued. These are the students the universities really care about, because graduate students do research. Undergraduates are generally viewed as less important and often uninteresting until they begin to undertake more independent work, which is, after all, the original point of a university education.

For undergraduate work, merit and need based financial aid should be available to all students, regardless of their origins, but I do strongly believe that differential tuition for international students is appropriate.

I don't know anything about international student programs for the public school system, so I can't comment on that. However, the post about recruiting children away from their homes for profit is completely inapplicable when it comes to university studies. In general, university students are 18 (or a few months shy thereof) on starting their first year, and therefore legally adults in Canada.

Ideally post secondary education in this country would be free for Canadian students. It isn’t, although students from Canada come from families who have paid taxes to support our university system. We hope that they will graduate and continue to support the system in this country. While it is unfortunate that foreign students have difficulty with tuition and living expenses while here in Canada, It is not up to Canadian taxpayers to subsidize their education. Sorry

Since when is it the duty of the Canadian taxpayer to subsidize the wealthy elite of developing nations (especially with blazing economies and huge class divides of their own, like China's)? "Kenny Chang" made $15,600 a year in a country where the annual per capita income is $700 but we should subsidize his education because a second, Western degree would look good on his CV? Give me a break. Working for one and a half hours an evening for $12 tax free plus a free dinner really doesn't sound like such a huge hardship to me, especially knowing that by the time I finish my own MA I'll have incurred total student loans of over $30,000. As far as "dumpster diving", although it dominates the headline and story synopsis I found only one line referring to its actual occurrence, from an anonymous source who then disappears from the story. I've certainly never seen any dumpster diving by international students (many of whom wouldn't be caught dead in anything less than the latest fashions). If Canada wants to help close the global divide by subsidizing higher education for students from developing countries (a worthy goal I wholeheartedly endorse), it would be far more sensible to do this by subsidizing the education of the poorest(!!) students in their own countries through international aid, and massively expanding student exchange programs with these countries (which would benefit both international and Canadian students). As far as our own education system, the emphasis should be on trying to again make our universities accessible to all segments of our society, notably including the children of hardworking, taxpaying immigrants; these students, unlike most international students, will contribute to the Canada of tomorrow. If high fees for international students are one way to do this, then so be it.

I am a Canadian born Citizen that is now happily employed int he trades. Yet I would have liked to go to University but the fincincial burden would have been too great. My Brother and sister-In law are making great fincial sacraficies to get the education they need. With so little help for poor-to middle class Canadians avaiable, I could not justify anything less then the current system. I feel the charges to international students should go up if anything, if the monnies where used to further allow accessablity for our own population. After all my middle class parents paid the taxes to run this University that I can't afford to go to.

The fictional Mr. Chang, as well as likely violating the terms of his student visa, is doing what grad and undergrad students have done for years - working his way through college. Doesn't matter if he's from China or Kelowna, it is still not a big deal.

This is a sad situation, but perhaps China should reconsider funding it's space program, and provide aid to students studying abroad.

You seem like the sort of person who is against globalization, yet for the convenience of your article you need to posit that UBC needs to be global, and that globalization is good. Huh? I agree with most people that have replied here ...this is the University of British Columbia, not the University of Dow Chemical or McDonald's U. BC and Canadian taxpayers pay for the place -- it's a university for British Columbians. Anyone else who gets in some other way has to take what they get. Use your common sense. This sort of crabby PC article went out in about 1998. Write about the people from BC who can't get in because of foreign students already there.

This article was my introduction to Tyee and I have to say I had higher expectations being familiar with David Beers work. The faulty logic in this article wouldn't make it past a Ubyssey editor never mind a media outlet that strives for much higher ground. The fact that the author is a graduate of UBC's School of Journalism is a bit of a shocker. Did no one explain that UBC is a publicly funded university? Why the hell would we subsidize foreign students who have not contributed taxes to its operation? We might as well mail cheques to Chinese students studying at Beijing University.

When I came to this country, 35 years ago, Galusha at Canada Manpower told me:"because you are going to be on welfare for the rest of your life, no english course for you, han, single mother." I went to Mount Carmel Clinic. I volunteered from 7:30 till 3:00 pm, 5 days of the week. In exchange I got breakfast, lunch and 50 dollars a month, plus english lessons. On my birth day, the late Anne Ross (wife of the Winnipeg city councillor, Communist Bill Ross), asked me what I wanted as a present. I replied: "to become a nurse." She wrote a letter to Galusha and he placed me in a class starting next February, as long as I passed my english proficiency test (which I did). At that time, it was part of Canada Manpower to help students coming from the lower economic classes with subsidies for college and universities. Today, as many of the people above have stated, one gets into a huge debt load or one cannot go to University or College for that matter. Even trades, since Campbell has changed the apprenticipe process, is much more difficult to get into. So, if it is difficult for the canadian taxpayer to get ourselves or our children in the colleges or universities we subsidize, why are we subsidizing international students from cnountries other than Haiti, African continent, Palestine, selectively from Central and South America (not their elite's children. I met Delfin Neto's nephew at Brandon University here with a scholarship. Boy Delfin Neto has tonnes of money. Talk about riping off of Canadians). My point is: Axworthy(liberals) and Mulroney and Chretien have destroyed our opportunity to educate our own people. The university is giving free tuition to all PHD students. My suggestion is to have Martha Pipe to get a pay cut and share her house with international students (out of solidarity, she is an american. American share easily.) As far as the canadian students with big loans, don't vote Paul Martin. You will get more of the same Chretien right wing, scandals, greedy and all the other non sense. As far as the "poor students", working under the table, you are lucky you get 12 dollars tax free and a free dinner. I know some canadian people that right now would love to have that deal. But remember, asians help each other and seldom hire outside of their communities. They prefer illegal ones. They make more money out of them. The rest of us, since Gordon came to power, are struggling too, not just the international students.

Somebody said being an international student is a voluntary option. Yes, it is. But who tells them how difficult life would be?, how little help they would receive? and that they would have to get used to pick up leftovers from the cafeteria's garbage? Nobody. I'm an international student. I have had to spend days with just one meal a day. Before the U-Pass I had to walk 2 hours to UBC just to save some money. Trust me. Whe I applied, I was told just great things about UBC... program, if they think it is exploitive they can elect not to go into it and go somewhere else

As much as the idealist part of me would love for students from all nations to have the right to study at Canadian universities for the same price, the practical part of me says this just isn't possible right now. I would love to be altruistic enough to say that, even though Canadian universities are funded (partially) by Canadians through their tax dollars, that students of any nationality can take advantage of the schools that result, but with so many stories about Canadian students struggling to make ends meet during post-secondary education, I just can't accept the idea that international students who chose to study abroad should get the same tuition deals. It's certainly not ideal, but I think until Canadian students get better treatment, we can't afford to give international students a break too. And I think Karen Weissbluth's comment raises a whole different issue about UBC's administration generally, and how it seems to care very little about students (don't even get me started on UBC Financial Services...). But that's quite apart from the issue at hand.

Journalists are always making faked stories to stimulate your sense. Although China is not as rich as Canada, Chinese have no reason to push themselves to a situation in which they need to seek food out of garbage cans only for a UBC degree. I do not think a UBC degree is that better than those from prestigious Chinese universities.

The school does not care about its international stduents, because if it did then they would add more assistance towards us, and the revenue they make from us is something that should go towards the students, in which case we wouldn't feel so lost and used by the university! It makes me not want to go there.

Well, if the whole difference between international and regional students is explained by tax or money that goes into programs for international students I don't see the issue here. Our rates are quite globally competitive. I think the only real problem might be the hikes - imagine having come here with enough money to get your degree, then having your tuition double when you're two years into it. The university cares about money and image, not students.

While I agree that U.B.C. should not use tax dollars to subsidize foreign students, I still feel that there tuition is far too high for someone to pay while they're going to school full time. Nothing was written in the articles above about whether or not these students can access student loans, but from the responces made so far I'm thinking that they can not. Why is this so, if they could take out loans, and then pay them off afterwards by getting a job inside Canada, wouldn't that take off the burden on them, after all education should be accessable to everyone, despite the make of their wallets.

i am concerned about the rise of exchange rate of CAD$ against Chinese Yuan. it has risen from around 5.3 last year to 6.48 now, which means int'l students from CHina has to pay about 20% more than last year, not considering the tuition change itself. although i think the case of garbage can is a bit extreme, i still believe that the university should reconsider their policy to rise int'l students' tuition.

Being an international student at UBC, a Canadian public university, I don't really expect the university to use so-called "tax-payers' money" to subsidize my education here. So long as the University treats me well, I'm satified already. However, while charging the higheset international tuition rate in Canada(even higher than U of T), UBC does not seem to be providing equally 'high' quality service or support(other than financial) to international students. People always talk about 'money for value', but I don't quite see it happen here in UBC. While paying the full cost of education, international students can't even be guaranteed an on-campus housing placement. We are still required to participate in the lottery system as Canadian students. It's worth noting that guarantee of on-campus housing is not related to financial assistance at all, yet we can't even get such 'privilege'.

I am an international student and I did not see other students, whether domestic or international going through garbage cans. But this is not the point. The point is that there are many international students who are not among "the wealthy elite" in their countries, who come here for the sake of LEARNING! Not just putting UBC degree on their CV. And the truth is that they are prepared to go through sacrifices to achieve their educational goals. And if they are not prepared enough, they are learning it right here at UBC the hard way.

just to reiterate If you don't like the price don't buy it. Welcome to capitalism 101

but before you buy 'the thing', do you really know its quality?? and therefore, do you really know whether you like the price or not?? Welcome to COMMON SENSE 101 dude!

Ha-ha-ha! Well said, 19/2004, 3:11:06! Paying for education is different than paying for burger and fries. You have to pay tuition before you even come to Canada and start taking classes and then it's non-refundable. By the way, did they ever teach about morality in Capitalism 101 or just how to rip people off? Hmmmm...

"Aucoin says UBC's policy is based on the principle that families of domestic students pay part of the cost of their education through taxes, while the families of international students don't pay taxes here." this is bullshit. when international students are here, we pay for your bloody taxes as well! plus before i came to UBC (which is a decision i regret heavily), UBC promised that they will take good care of the students and protect its rich cultural diversity. well whoever that wrote that is a bloody liar. UBC is nothing but an overpriced piece of shit. UBC makes me think that Canada is a shithole with ridiculous tax policies. i'm paying 20000 bucks for tuition fees alone and if that's not enough, try multiplying all costs by 3 to equal the currecny of my home country. things ON-CAMPUS are more expensive than that of off-campus, which bloody retarded.

Yep, this "public" universities here are huge money grabbers. "Public", yeah, but don't mind to feed upon lumps of foreign cash.

COMMON SENSE 101? Buyer beware, moron! Instead of mindlessly handing over your money to a school, why not INVESTIGATE whether the school's education/diploma is recognized by the industry you're looking to get into?

well, I was of a better opinion of Canadians before reading some of the comments above...

I would ask whether it is an ethical way to run a province. The price of a secondary education should be good grades. Anything else is elitist.

I agree,thanks Gord!

I agree that EBC and other Canadian Universities are charging way too much. If you add to that the high cost of livign and taxes you can understand why I left Canada. Here are more reasons: 6. Health Care disaster. Doctors in Canada are in a shortage, 1 in 4 Canadians cannot get a family doctor. Canadian doctors are leaving to move permanently to the U.S. Statistics Canada and the Canadian Medical Association both have identified that for every 1 American doctor that moves to Canada, 19 (nineteen) Canadian doctors move to the United States! Doctors in Canada are overworked and underpaid. 5. Very high taxes. Yes, you have the GST, the PST on practically everything you purchase and many other taxes taken out of our weekly paycheck. You have to pay a whopping amount to the government, out of your hard earned salary, so that the government can turn around and give it to beer drinking, hockey watching welfare bums. Fair? It does not matter, it's Canada. 4. Crooked Government. From former Prime Minister Jean Chretian to former Ontario Premier Ernie Eves, you have politicians that say one thing, but do another. Empty promises, false hope, no action, no progress. Canadian embassies all over the globe, lie to foreigners, telling them to immigrate to Canada, promising them a life here that can never be obtained. 3. No culture. Unlike almost every other country in the world, Canada has no culture. What does it even mean to call yourself a 'Canadian'. . .nothing really. Every one in Canada, still identifies themselves as to where they 'originally' came from. 2. Worst weather. Yes, Canada has the worst weather conditions of any country in the world. Freezing cold tempertatures, snow, ice, hail, winds, storms etc From the Prairie provinces to the Maritimes, from the Territories to southern Ontario, the weather is so horrific and disgusting that many Canadians leave Canada simply because of this reason alone. 1. No Jobs. Yes, from coast to coast, there are no jobs. People are highly qualified (MD's, PhD's, Lawyers, Engineers etc) but they are driving taxi cabs, delivering pizza's or working in factories. This is the tragedy associated with immigration to Canada. I feel sorry for those immigrants who are stuck in Canada for the rest of their lives. It is indeed a very sad and hopeless future.

I, myself am an international student. And for you Canadians that think the hell with us foreign kids,and that if you don't like the costs get the hell out, I say "SHAME ON YOU". How much of the money that international students have paid UBC over the years has been used to bring the facilities that you use On the UBC campus. I would Say very many. In the Past two years my family has paid over $50,000 to pay for my education and living expenses in canada but when we request for a work permit the government says NO. Why? because we would get most of the jobs? If the governmet just allowed the international students to work most of these problems for us would perish. As we are not asking the Canadians to subsidise our education, just give us a chance to survive.As the person "ex-canuck pointed out, your governmet is robbing you and you blame us. I pay taxes just as you canadians do. When I'm shopping for clothing, food, groceries, gas etc.. I pay ~14% tax on it and I don't get any of it returned back to me, unlike you Canadians. your government won't allow me to work and on top of that I have to pay 6 times the amount you pay to learn the same stuff and on top of that I have to pay some $1650 per year for the basic health care that all students get for free. This is just bullshit! And as far as standars are concerned UBC doesn't give a rats ass about their undergrads. We don't even have the right equipments to carry some of our lab work. for example in some courses we had to measure microscopic organisms, which would require special slids with micrometer readings on it, but we were given no such thing cause it costs $100 per slide and there are some 25 students taking the course. but ironically the same department just bought a really expensive SEM. Many people fail to realize That if it wasn't for the west we would be back in our own country and going to university there but because of western politics and our repression (which is always supported under the table by the west)we are forced to leave our homes only to get mistreated by the western societies. We forget one issue who are the Canadians? the answer is the natives not this pathetic excuse for a government run by a bunch of sophists and voted by incompetent and uneducated people who think they know shit about economy then send a mobile hospital worth 80 million dollars(not needed) instead of food and clean water (needed) for the earthquake disaster (stats check 25% of all Canadians are illitrate how can they know what to vote for?). And for those who get pissed off just cause they are not bright enough to get into UBC I say don't blame the international students for your incompetance (they are probably smarter than you and therefore deserve to be in UBC more than you can dream of getting in). The job issue needs to be addressed if international students are only allowed to work on campus then job priorities should be given to international students rather than Canadians Or the governmet should seriously cosider allowing international students to have a part-time job anywhere within canada. This would only be fair to us. And how many canadians contribute to the taxes that the governmet uses to fund public universities? (my guess is not very many) as most canadians don't earn enough therefore most of the taxes they pay gets returned to them! And for those who disagree don't even bother replying cause I have heard your bullshit justifications of your government's policies (they are not right! not for Canadians and not for foreigners)