Tuition relief for Ukrainian students gets government extension

Ukrainian students in Saskatchewan will keep paying domestic tuition rates until 2030 under an extended provincial support program.

The Government of Saskatchewan has announced that Ukrainian post-secondary students in the province will continue to receive tuition relief until March 31, 2030.

The extension enables students who arrived in Saskatchewan under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program, to continue paying domestic tuition rates instead of international rates at post-secondary institutions in the province.

“Since launching the program in 2023, we have seen firsthand how tuition relief can transform the futures of Ukrainian students who came here seeking refuge from war,” Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said Tuesday.

“Extending this support ensures learners have the stability, opportunity and encouragement they need to complete their education and potentially contribute to Saskatchewan’s future.”

Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Saskatchewan President Elena Krueger told reporters her organization was pleased by the provincial government’s decision.

“Allowing displaced Ukrainians to pay domestic rather than international tuition fees will have a lasting impact on the lives of young people navigating extraordinary challenges because of Russia’s war on Ukraine,” she said.

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One of those examples is first-year University of Regina engineering student Anton Merzliakov from Kyiv.

Merzliakov and his family came to Saskatchewan in 2022.

“When I arrived in Saskatchewan as a high school student, I hoped to continue my education here, but paying international tuition would have made that impossible for my family,” said Merzliakov.

“The tuition relief program made university possible for me, and extending this support gives me confidence that I can complete my degree and continue building my future here.”

Students registered with CUAET will be eligible for tuition relief immediately.

The Government of Saskatchewan will conduct a program review in 2029 to determine whether the need for tuition relief remains.

According to the provincial government, over 35 students have benefited from the Ukrainian Tuition Relief Program since its launch in 2023.