Liberal Education critic Eric Fairclough believes the territorial government should step in to help offset the rising rent costs for residence suites at Yukon College.

'My concern is with the students and their ability to afford to stay at the Yukon College residences. It's getting higher than them having to pay rent downtown,' Fairclough told the Star.

'It's not as if the government is broken and has the inability to help. They do have a lot of money in the bank and they can help.'

Since the construction of the 2007 Canada Winter Games athletes' village began on the campus, rents have been steadily rising at the college residences, said Fairclough.

One of the two $34.4-million buildings is being handed over to the college to use as family residential suites.

Living in the 24-unit, $14 million building will cost $1,000 a month for a two-bedroom apartment.

Meanwhile, since the construction of the new residence began, the older building has seen a 40 per cent rise in monthly rental fees, said Fairclough.

For the 2005-2006 academic year, the cost was $640 a month. This year, it rose to $750. When classes begin in the fall, students will be paying $900 each month to stay on campus.

'Students are concerned about it because it makes it really, really tough for them,' said Fairclough.

He has received calls from students at the college who are already struggling to make ends meet and the $150 rise for next fall may put them over the edge.

As the rents rise, grants given to students to help cover their post-secondary education aren't, he added, and it's creating budgeting crunches.

For first nations and rural students planning on coming into Whitehorse to go to the college, these rising costs may affect their decision, he said.

'It's not easy having to parent, study and put food on the table by working one or two jobs, maybe. It's not easy,' Fairclough said.

'So why are we encouraging these people to further their education and say thank you' by hitting them with a ridiculous cost increase?'

Fairclough said no explanation has been provided by the college or the government regarding higher rents. He said he suspects it's related to the government's inability to keep the costs down in building the athletes' village.

'Now students have to pay for the Yukon Party's incompetence,' he said. 'It is simply unfair.'

'I'm not sure what the member from the Liberal party was talking about in his questions today,' Education Minister Patrick Rouble said after Fairclough raised the issue in the legislature Monday.

'I'm not sure what relationship with reality those comments have. It's a Yukon College decision to decide what to charge for those rents.'

The government provided the college with a completed asset with no mortgage, said Rouble, and provided funding to furnish the residences.

'Any other jurisdiction in Canada would love to be in a situation like that,' he said.

The government does recognize the need to have student housing available at the college and that is why the facility was built, he said.

But students are responsible for making the choice to take on the investment that pursuing a post-secondary education entails, Rouble added, including the cost of housing.

'One of the strong benefits that we have here in the territory is the ability for Yukon students to apply to the Yukon grant, which covers much, if not all, of their educational costs,' he said. 'The Yukon government is committed to helping students to continue their education.'

Approximately 1,064 Yukoners are receiving financial assistance from the territorial government for their studies.

With the rising costs of the rental units, it obviously isn't enough said, Fairclough.

The students should be involved in the discussion regarding the rent and if the level of funding given to post-secondary grants is meeting today's costs, he said.

Rouble, however, maintained it is up to the college's board of governors to decide what is reasonable and ask the department for help if they need it.

'It hasn't been an issue that they have raised with me.'

The Star was unable to reach representatives at Yukon College for comment prior to this afternoon's publication.