International students at Memorial University believe they are being discriminated against as they pay substantially more in tuition than the going rate.

The PERT Report recommends that the provincial government eliminate the subsidy to higher-learning institutions, which would likely mean higher tuition costs across the board.

A rally outside the Colonial Building on the weekend heard that the higher fees aren’t the only problems students from countries other than Canada face. Getting a loan from a financial institution is difficult, usually possible only at loan-shark rates.

While Newfoundland and Labrador said last week it wishes to increase immigration, NDP Leader Alison Coffin says raising tuition is not the way to do that.

She would rather see the province get out of subsidizing oil and gas and use the money to help post-secondary students and says international students contribute greatly to the economy and the province.