For the first time in its 11-year history, the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC (CSHBC) will increase fees for initial registration, registration renewal, and the CSHBC Hearing Instrument Dispensing (HID) practical examination.
The CSHBC Board has approved the following fee increases, effective December 2, 2019:
- Initial fee for Full or Conditional registration – increases from $600 to $750
- Renewal fee for Full or Conditional registration – increases from $500 to $750
- Initial and renewal fees for Non-practising registration – increases from $225 to $275
- HID practical examination fee – increases from $350 to $450
Why Fees are Increasing
Application and registration fees account for more than 95% of revenue for CSHBC. The College’s Board determined that fee increases are needed because CSHBC’s fees, which have stayed the same since the College was founded in 2009, no longer enable proper regulatory oversight and administration for the three professions it regulates in BC: audiology, hearing instrument dispensing, and speech-language pathology. In the 11 years since CSHBC’s inception, fees have increased incrementally at comparable health regulatory colleges in other provinces, including those that regulate two professions or just one. Among speech and hearing regulators, CSHBC fees are currently among the lowest in Canada, and comparable colleges benefit from significantly larger staff complements.
“The new fees will ensure CSHBC is adequately resourced to deliver efficient application and registration processes, a comprehensive quality assurance program, rigorous investigation of complaints and discipline, and other components of the College’s mandate,” says CSHBC Registrar Cameron Cowper. “Moving forward, CSHBC will have a fee structure that enables the College to maintain the necessary infrastructure – including administrative staff, legal counsel, and information technology – for fully meeting our mandate of protecting the public.”
The College recognizes that the increases will represent a significant change for registrants and applicants and is therefore providing approximately two and a half months notice of the new fees before the opening of the next registration renewal period in January 2020.
For More Information
Read CSHBC’s responses to FAQs about the fee increases.
If you have any questions about the fee increases, please send them to the Registrar at: [email protected].