Strengthening Student Affordability Through Better Financial Policies

Universities often discuss affordability in terms of tuition and scholarships offerings. Through a focus group organized by the HUCSC, I learnt that for many students, affordability is about something broader: whether the financial structure of their education is transparent, predictable, and understandable.

At Huron, there is so much to be proud of when it comes to student support. Scholarships, experiential learning opportunities, and small class sizes all demonstrate a strong commitment to student success. Yet conversations with students reveal that affordability challenges often arise not only from costs themselves, but from how those costs are communicated and structured.

There are several practical ways Huron (and universities more broadly) can strengthen affordability without fundamentally changing existing programs: improving communication around financial policies, addressing hidden academic costs, and reconsidering how scholarship retention is structured.

I. Strengthening Communication and Transparency

Important discussions about financial policies often take place through university governance structures that include student representatives, and students are typically informed once those decisions are finalized. However, once policies are finalized, communication tends to focus on what the change is rather than why it was made. For students affected by these policies, understanding the reasoning behind changes can be just as important as knowing the outcome.

Providing more context around these decisions, whether through explanatory updates or opportunities for student feedback during earlier stages of discussion could strengthen transparency and trust in the process.

For example, prior to the 2024-25 school year, students were told that scholarships would be applied to the second installment of tuition rather than the first, requiring them to cover higher upfront costs in the first term. While there may be administrative reasons for structuring payments this way, more proactive consultations and clearer explanation of the rationale behind such decisions would strengthen the transparency and foster trust between institution and its’ students.

II. Reduce Hidden Academic Cost

Affordability is also influenced by the costs that are not always immediately visible.

Textbooks remain a significant expense in many courses, and in some cases, students are required to purchase costly materials that are only used occasionally throughout the term. As open educational resources become increasingly common, universities have the opportunity to encourage open-access course materials where appropriate. Some courses at Huron already adopt these approaches, and it is important to move towards standardizing this adoption beyond individual instructors’ discretions.

Experiential learning opportunities also raise important affordability considerations. There are quite a few May travel courses that offer valuable educational experiences, yet their cost structures can unintentionally limit participation. Speaking from my personal experience, I was not able to attend two experiential learning courses simply because the full cost of both trip fee and summer tuition fee would go up beyond $8000, while any bursary offered would only cover the trip component. Treating it as a winter course would reduce the financial burden on students and make these opportunities more accessible.

III. Rethinking Scholarship Retention Policies

Finally, scholarship retention policies deserve thoughtful reflection. Many entrance scholarships require students to maintain an 80% average with no course below 60% in order to renew their funding each year.

Academic standards are an important part of scholarship programs, but the consequences of narrowly missing these thresholds can be substantial, especially for international students where scholarship amounts are often higher due to increased tuition. For students who rely on these awards, losing a scholarship can result in tens of thousands of dollars in additional tuition.

One possible reform option would be to introduce tiered scholarship retention, where students who fall slightly below the threshold lose only a portion of their funding rather than the entire award, while larger drop would lead to greater reductions. Such a system would continue to reward strong academic performance while recognizing that students face different circumstances throughout their studies.

None of these ideas require dramatic institutional change. By strengthening transparency, addressing hidden costs, and designing scholarship policies that balance rigor with flexibility, Huron can make meaningful progress toward that goal.

Khoi Luu is the Feedback Coordinator on the 2025/26 Student Affairs team.