News

TORONTO, March 27, 2026—Ontario’s 2026 Provincial Budget fails to provide adequate funding for the postsecondary sector, despite the Government’s stated commitments to strengthening the workforce and protecting the economy.

The Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC) is deeply concerned that the absence of adequate and stable investment means Ontario will remain in last place in the country for domestic per-student funding at the university and college level—after a decade of stagnant postsecondary funding. To bring Ontario in line with the national average and stabilize the sector, the government must commit to a substantial increase in funding to the postsecondary sector.

TORONTO, ON. February 13, 2026 – The recent funding announcement from the provincial government is a welcome injection of needed funding to the post-secondary sector, but shifts much financial burden to students, says the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC).

The announcement from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES) to the Ontario post-secondary sector is significant. While this represents progress following years of sustained advocacy across the sector, it does not close Ontario’s longstanding funding gap. Even after this increase, Ontario will continue to rank last in per-student funding for colleges and universities, remaining well below the national average.

The Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC) is deeply concerned with the proposed changes in Bill 33, the Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025.

Bill 33 represents an existential threat to the autonomy of our world-class publicly-funded higher education system. It reflects the Ontario Government’s continued problematic efforts to exert increased control over colleges and universities, utilizing legal tools to prioritize political agendas over the educational needs of Ontario’s students and their communities. Despite the stated intention to increase transparency and support for the postsecondary education (PSE) sector, this proposed legislation serves as an unnecessary distraction, undermining the academic missions of PSE institutions across the province.

TORONTO

The Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC) is deeply concerned about recent layoffs and program closures and suspensions at several post-secondary education (PSE) institutions across Ontario. Layoffs and program closures are indicative of broader, systemic issues and problems resulting from the provincial government chronically underfunding PSE institutions. This has forced colleges and universities to find unstable and exploitative paths to financial stability, such as reliance on a precariously employed workforce and international student tuition.

A provincewide coalition of students, faculty and staff at Ontario colleges and universities is urging the Ford government to delay voting on a hastily crafted piece of ill-defined legislation, currently scheduled for third reading on Monday.

Bill 166 is being touted as a potential law to improve transparency and student mental health, and to combat racism and hate on the province’s post-secondary campuses. However, it was clearly thrown together quickly and there was no consultation with students, faculty or staff, says the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition.  

The Ontario University and Colleges Coalition (OUCC), which represents over 435,000 faculty, staff, and students from every public postsecondary institution in Ontario, has been ringing the alarm on the post-secondary education sector’s underfunding crisis, which has been in the making for over a decade through consecutive austerity budgets, privatization, and burdening students and their families with financing the sector. The issue of underfunding is well documented by labour unions and associations in the sector, confirmed by multiple reports from the Auditor General of Ontario, and also echoed by the government’s own Blue-Ribbon panel.

To: Elections Ontario and Mr. Greg Essensa, Ontario’s Chief Electoral Officer,

Re: On-campus polling stations

May 26, 2022

We write as representatives of the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC)—which represents over 435,000 faculty, staff, and students from every public postsecondary institution in Ontario. With the Ontario election fast approaching on June 2, 2022, students and campus workers want to highlight the need for on-campus polling stations. There are major documented successes with on-campus polling stations in both the 2015 and 2019 Federal elections cycles, with a 60% increase in campus voter turnout attributed to the on-campus polling stations between the two elections. It is no secret that students and campus workers are active voters and access to on-campus voting provides for higher participation among these groups.

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Students and Workers Demand Safer return to campus

Add your voice by sending the email below to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and let’s keep fighting for Safer Campuses by signing:

• Safer Return to Campus Email Zap!

The Ontario University and Colleges Coalition echoes the concerns of students and workers across the province about unsafe and rushed plans to return to campus. With notice of returning back to in-person learning for some institutions as soon as January 31, students are nervous about inadequate safety plans, the accessibility of continuing with online learning and academic penalties for those who do not feel safe being back on campus. Without access to critical PPE such as N95 masks, uncertainties about ventilation, lack of routine reporting of COVID-19 case counts, and no physical distancing practices, students and workers know that such an abrupt plan to return to campus is not conducive to learning, and it seriously jeopardizes the safety of all campus community members.

TORONTO, ON, July 21, 2021 — The Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC), representing over 435,000 faculty, staff, and students from across the public postsecondary education sector in Ontario, strongly opposes the new provincial election spending rules that are outlined and enforced by Bill 307, Protecting Elections and Defending Democracy Act, 2021. With the use of the Notwithstanding Clause, the government has imposed Bill 307 despite a court decision declaring the law unconstitutional based on the harm that this kind of legislation would cause.

TORONTO, ON - Members of the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC), which represents over 435,000 faculty, staff, and students from every public postsecondary education institution in Ontario, are calling on Ross Romano and the Ontario government to provide Laurentian University with the necessary funding to secure the future of the university.

Laurentian University is a vital public institution in Northern Ontario, which educates over 9,000 students each year, provides over 1,500 good jobs, and is essential to the well-being of the Greater Sudbury area. The university and its faculty teach students studying for careers crucial to the future of Northern Ontario, including nursing, science, teaching, and social work. Further, as part of Laurentian’s tri-cultural mandate, the university provides unique French and Indigenous programming, including courses that incorporate Anishnaabe traditional teachings. It has become a hub for Indigenous learning and research.