Media Release

Government announcement on Adult Basic Education and ESL tuition

VANCOUVER – The provincial government announced yesterday that it would be restoring funding and removing tuition fees for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in British Columbia as of September 2017.

"We are happy to work closely with the provincial government to implement these changes,” says Dr. Peter Nunoda, Vancouver Community College (VCC) president and CEO. “VCC’s ESL and adult upgrading courses are often the first steps on a pathway to a new career, a career change or a fresh start; and I am proud of our students and employees that work together to make this a reality.”

VCC is one of the B.C.’s largest providers of adult upgrading programs and its ESL Pathways program was recently awarded national recognition by Colleges and Institutes Canada. VCC’s adult upgrading courses are a key entry point for students seeking to re-enter the education system or complete prerequisites to enroll in post-secondary programs. VCC offers self-paced or class-based courses from basic skills up to Grade 12, including English, math, sciences, humanities and computer classes.