University students are back to the grind which means lots of projects, papers and late night studying sessions - but it also means more tuition woes.

According to a recent report released by Statistics Canada, the average cost of tuition in Canada has increased once again this year, bringing last year's average of $6,201 up to $6,373.

Though Alberta's average remains lower than the Canadian average, many students are finding this increase a hard pill to swallow.

"With this economy, teachers keep saying it's better to be in school because right now there are no jobs but it's hard to stay in school when it costs so much," says Mackenzie Jaquish, a Bert Church alumni and third year Journalism student at Mount Royal University.

"It's especially hard when you're a full time student because there's just no time. We have to work in order to stay in school but working distracts us from the work we're doing in school."

What may seem like a subtle increase to some can have a large impact on university students when you add on extra costs like textbooks, rent, vehicle costs and food.

Not only is the high levels of tuition decreasing accessibility to university education, it is increasing the levels of debt that students have to take on to complete their schooling.