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By Michael Reeve

TRU BUDGET

TRUSU awaiting details on potential impacts to students as TRU grapples with nearly 10 per cent drop in revenue

Nov 29, 2024 | 4:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — As the Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Board of Governors begins to debate how it will cut its 2025 budget by eight per cent or $21 million, the student body is looking for clarity about what may be on the chopping block.

“It’s pretty concerning. We don’t really know specifically what that is going to look like for students,” Thompson Rivers University Student Union (TRUSU) University Affairs’ Coordinator Sierra Rae said.

“[We don’t know] whether that is going to be programs or classes that are impacted, whether we might see things like services be cut for students. So none really knows whether there is a short, middle, or long-term plan.”

Without a preliminary budget to dissect, Rae says TRUSU is in a wait and see approach, though she notes they know there will be impacts that will be felt across the board.

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“There is uncertainty that there might be some cuts to classes or services or there might be tuition fees increases which will again add to the adversary of international students who are already paying a premium and trying to balance study and work,” added University Affairs’ Executive Student Representative Jannat Bhullar.

Bhullar expects to begin consultation with fellow students once more is known.

“With this situation being so uncertain and with there being no definite proposals so far we just hope to wait it out and see what the recommendations would be from the university and then reach out to students to talk about what they think about it,” Bhullar added.

While TRU expects it will need to make significant cuts in the next few years as well, Rae is hoping future TRU budgets rely less on international student tuition fees as a way to balance the books

“What we see, and what we are trying to express is that we think this is a symptom of the root cause, which is really as institutions they are overreliant on international student fees,” Rae said.

“So we see this budgetary concern that has come up as a symptom of the general concern.”

The TRU Board of Governors is expected to finalize the 2025-26 budget in March of next year.