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The Panther Prints
Sept 17, 1996
Memorial to Charge Senior Citizens Tuition
By Craig Babstock
ST. JOHN'S, Nfld. (CUP) -- For the first time in 22 years, Memorial Uni- versity will charge senior citizens tuition .
The university used to let anyone over the age of 60 take courses for free but changed that policy this summer blaming budget cuts for the decision.
"It was a response to a funding crisis," said uni- versity spokesman Peter Morris.
Morris’ said _ it wouldn't be fair to offer free courses to seniors while tuition fees are in- creasing for everybody else.
About 40 students over the age of 60 attended Memorial last year, with 90 percent of them taking only one course. —
The new policy will save the university about $20,000 a year.
"It's the little things ~
that have to be done to make the bigger picture, it all adds up," Morris said. "Unfor- tunately, the things we've done traditionally we can't afford to do anymore."
Memorial's funding was cut by $12 million this year.
Student council President Robert Mendoza, who sits on the university's Board of Regents, said the proposal came about after the university's president
received a letter from asen- ior who felt it was wrong that she did not have to pay tuition while other students did.
Since the announce- ment Memorial's adminis- tration has received about
a half-dozen letters from seniors expressing disap- pointment.
Student councillor Reg Porter is upset with the decision to charge sen- iors tuition.
"I don't agree with it.
It's cruel," he said.
"My grandparents had to work extremely hard their entire lives, and they paid their share of taxes which helped to build this university. The least we can do for these people is give
them the opportunity to go to university free of charge."
"That kind of jump in tuition for these people doesn't show much respect for them," he said.
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