HALIFAX--Students from the Maritime Provinces studying at Memorial University of Newfoundland cite lower tuition fees as their main reason for attending university in Newfoundland and Labrador, according to a report released yesterday.

"This report confirms what students have been saying for years – high tuition fees at Maritimes universities are pushing young people to leave home and study in Newfoundland and Labrador," said Maxime Audet, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students – Nova Scotia. "Students studying at Memorial University get a high quality education for half the price of a university degree in our region."

Matriculating Eastward: Maritime Student Migration to Newfoundland and Labrador, written by researchers in Memorial University's Faculty of Education, found that while university enrollment continues to fall across the Maritime Provinces, enrollment of students from the Maritimes at Memorial University has increased more than ten-fold since 1999, when tuition fee freezes and reductions first began in that province. In particular, enrollment of students originally from Nova Scotia increased 1,079% while enrollment from New Brunswick increased 800% and enrollment from P.E.I. increased 418% since 1999.

According to the report "total cost" was the most influential factor for Maritimes students who chose to attend university in Newfoundland and Labrador. Currently, average tuition fees are above the national average in both New Brunswick ($5,579) and Nova Scotia ($5,800), while tuition fees in P.E.I are $4,796. Students in Newfoundland and Labrador pay the second lowest tuition fees in the country.

"The government of Newfoundland and Labrador clearly understands that the way to keep young people in their province is to increase funding to post-secondary education and reduce tuition fees," said Audet. "We urge the government of Nova Scotia to keep this report in mind while negotiating the province's next funding and tuition fees agreement this year."

The report can be downloaded at http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~dkirby/Matriculating_Eastward_Report.pdf.

Founded in 1981, the Canadian Federation of Students is Canada's largest student organisation, uniting over one-half million students from all ten provinces.