Factsheets

An overview of Ontario government’s cuts to higher education and the attempted bankrupting of democratic student organizations.

More information pages from our coalition partners available here.

Summary

• Unfunded 10% Tuition Fee Reduction will result in an approximate 4% cut to university budgets. Universities will be under pressure to outsource, cut services, increase precarious employment, and/or lay-off staff.

• Regressive OSAP changes will result in massive increased student debt and increased burden for mature students.

Many organizations are releasing specific membership advisories, annoucements, and explanations of what is going on. You will find a list of materials and organization-specific information linked below.

Unifor

• #WeAreTheStudents: Unite for Student Democracy and Against OSAP Cutbacks

Resources student unions provide

Beginning this year, you have the option to opt-in, or out, of certain student fees. Here are just some of the many services that these fees pay for - and what you could potentially miss out on.

Be sure to support your student levy groups and access their services.

Download this flyer in PDF form here

Access to resources

Did you know that many of the student levy groups on campus can provide you with access to resoures you may need? Legal services through your students’ union, OPIRG has a library covering a wide variety of topics, and can also lend you equipment, like a projector or button maker!

Ten Negative Effects

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities the following negative proposals can be confirmed:

1. International students, who pay the highest tuition fees, are ineligible for a 10% reduction in tuition fees.
2. Universities and colleges will face funding cuts of up to $440 million which impact the quality of education in the province. These deep cuts are expected to be downloaded onto students and workers through larger class sizes, fewer course options and cuts to wages and benefits.
3. Students pursuing second-entry programs will be forced to take out a loan no matter their financial situation. This will impact graduate students and professional students in programs such as law and medicine and will likely mean students from middle and lower income families will have to take on greater debt to access these programs.
4. The 6-month grace period on repaying student loans is being eliminated and interest will begin accumulating on student loans immediately after graduation.
5. Mature students will face new barriers to accessing student loans and grants and the definition of ‘dependent’ is being changed requiring students to be out of high school for 6 years (up from 4). These mature students will have their parents income factored into the OSAP needs assessment, regardless of whether or not they are economically independent, affecting access to grants.
6. The expected parental contribution amount, which determines how much financial assistance students will receive, is set to increase. This change negatively impacts families that have multiple children pursuing post-secondary education, as well as students whose parents do not contribute the expected amount.
7. Students from families with annual earnings below $50,000 will be forced to take a loan as part of their financial assistance, rather than a non-repayable grant covering the average cost of tuition.
8. Students from families with annual earnings between $50,000 and $140,000 will receive a higher proportion of repayable loans to non-repayable grants in their financial assistance.
9. Students from families with annual earnings between $140,000 and $170,000 will no longer eligible for the Ontario Student Grant, only repayable loans.
10. Students’ unions are under attack. Students democratically decide to participate in and fund the activities of their students’ union through the collection of dues. The Ford government is encouraging students to opt out of their students’ union dues. This will reduce the ability of students’ unions to represent and service their members.

Student Union Services Affected

Students’ unions serve their members in number of significant ways, all of which are now under threat: