University of Calgary students joined others at the province’s post-secondary institutions for a day of protests against rising tuition costs.

The students braved Friday’s snow and cold to try and stop program costs that they say are putting them out into the cold, permanently.

Alix Devlin, a student at the University of Calgary, said that the rising tuition she and other students have had to pay since the province reversed its freeze has made some undergraduate programs inaccessible.

“There’s exceptional tuition increases that are happening, and that’s not fair at all,” said Devlin.

“Some students are having to have multiple jobs, take lots of loans, and there’s is increased interest on loans—so it’s just all around unfair.” she said.

Additional protests were organized to be held simultaneously at Mount Royal University, MacEwan University, and the University of Alberta.

Students want tuition freeze

According to Statistics Canada, the average tuition cost in Alberta has risen by 15.4 per cent from 2019 to 2021. In 2019 the average undergraduate program cost was $5,692. In 2021 it was $6,567.

Alberta’s tuition has remained below Canada’s average.