High tuition for cut-rate education? No thanks

RE: Hiked tuition rates unacceptable, Nov. 17

In response to higher tuition rates I have to say Foster hit the nail on the head.  As a part-time student returning to post-secondary school I was sickened at the hurdles that WLU placed in my way as I attempted to further my education.

 I could not afford full time studies therefore I had to work full-time to pay for my part-time enrolment.  My parents are tied up financially sending my siblings to university, so I could not rely on them for money.  I was not eligible for a bank loan or credit card with a limit high enough to cover tuition. I was not eligible for OSAP because of my parents’ income. 

To add insult to injury, as a part-time student I was discluded from most bursaries and scholarships, the ones that were offered were for the most part available to those in specific fields of work or study.  Getting in the door was not easy. Once I was accepted and I had to choose courses I faced the problem of being excluded from a lot of the courses I was interested in taking. Because I was a part-time student the spots were being reserved for “serious,” full-time students according to one administrator I spoke to.

I pay the same tuition and book prices as everyone else and follow the same deadlines and payment schedules. 

If Laurier is gonna overcharge me for cut-rate education and over-stuffed classrooms they could at least be nice to me when I make an attempt to address these issues with department heads and administrators.

—Rebecca Cameron