Students should have a better idea how their tuition is spent, says newspaper society president Kate McKenna. (CBC)

The University of Prince Edward Island should be included under the province's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, says the Atlantic Institute of Market Studies.

The Halifax-based policy group was frustrated recently while doing a study on first year university students in the region. Research manager Bobby O'Keefe said every university in the region sent information except for UPEI. O'Keefe believes the university does not have the right to withhold information.

"It does aid in helping the school community and the university community, and the taxpayers who are funding the universities, find out what they're getting for their money," he said.

Including the university under the provincial legislation would mean people looking for information would have the right to appeal to the freedom of information commissioner if the school refused a request.

Kate McKenna, outgoing president of the UPEI student newspaper society, has also been frustrated in her attempts to get information from the school.

"It hasn't been great, to be honest," said McKenna.

McKenna thinks students have a right to know how their tuition money is spent by administration. But she said her requests are routinely turned down, including one asking how much money UPEI president Wade MacLauchlan makes. Other universities, she said, make that information routinely available.

"I did my first year at the University of Ottawa and the student paper always had an update on much money administrators were making," said McKenna.

"I think that made students more aware of what was going on in their university and that's something that we lack here."

In an email sent to CBC News on Friday, UPEI says it considers salary information of all employees to be private.

Attorney General Doug Currie said he would want to meet with university officials before taking any steps to include UPEI under the province's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.