As the fall semester gets underway, Southeast College is reporting steady enrollment numbers and renewed excitement around its program offerings, despite ongoing discussions about rising tuition across the province.
Sheena Onrait, Vice President of Communication and Strategic Enrollment at Southeast College, said the institution has worked hard to keep tuition increases as modest as possible.
“This last year we had just a little less than a four percent increase in tuition, and that’s really just to cover inflation and rising costs across the board,” Onrait explained. “Every year we do a comprehensive analysis of tuition rates across the province and even outside Saskatchewan to make sure we’re in line.”
While many have raised concerns about affordability, Onrait noted that Southeast College is not seeing a decline in interest from students.
“In fact, our programs were full early on this year,” she said. “We always see a little bit of summer movement, but overall we’re sitting at a very healthy enrollment for this fall, and we’re really, really pleased with that.”
One of the most in-demand programs this year is Power Engineering, which the college reintroduced in Estevan after nearly a decade. “We were full early with a wait list, and we’re looking to continue that momentum,” Onrait said.
Beyond academics, the college has been expanding student supports. Last year, Southeast revamped its bursary and scholarship programs to provide more financial help during the school year. “We’re also adding mental health supports for our students this year, along with continuing our small class sizes and onsite student advisor support,” Onrait added.
She emphasized the strong relationship Southeast College maintains with provincial ministries and the importance of keeping communication open about future funding and program needs.
“We feel like our students are very lucky to come to Southeast College, and we are very lucky to have them,” Onrait said. “We really offer a fulsome education package for our students.”