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By Derek Abma

University tuition fees in Canada rose again this school year by a margin that easily exceeds the rate of inflation, new data showed Friday.

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Statistics Canada said the average annual tuition fee for undergraduate students is $5,366 for the new 2011-12 school year, up 4.3% from last year. That follows a 4% in tuition for the 2010-11 school year.

The federal agency pointed out that the annual rate of inflation was running at 2.7% in July.

“Tuition fees rose in all but one province, Newfoundland and Labrador, where they have been frozen since 2003-04,” Statistics Canada said in a statement.

In other provinces, the hikes ranged from 5.1% in Ontario and 1.4% in Manitoba.

Not only did Ontario see the biggest year-to-year rise in tuition fees, it also had the most expensive overall cost at $6,640 for undergraduates. Perhaps not surprisingly, post-secondary tuition has emerged as an issue in the current election campaign in Ontario.