News that tuition for colleges and universities is about to go up for the first time in seven years hit the Western University campus like a hard lesson in economics. Students CTV News spoke with are disappointed they’ll have to dig deeper for the privilege of higher education. “That’s kind of disappointing to hear, because it’s already like, we do pay absurd amounts to be here already,” said second-year music student Rory Paladino. “This new change is going to cause a lot of issues with a lot of students who can’t afford to go to university,” added second-year music student Sara Rincon. Colleges and universities can now raise fees by up to two per cent per year for the next three years. After that, increases will be limited to two per cent or to the rate of inflation - whichever is lower. “I know for me, I have the privilege of coming to Western, but for a lot of my friends, they are still stuck at home, really using that OSAP,” explained Iniyan Balakumar, a first-year business student. Further, the government is decreasing the proportion of student grants and will rely more heavily on loans. London West MPP Peggy Sattler, who serves as the NDP’s shadow minister for colleges and universities, says students will face more debt. “They can expect not only to pay more for their post-secondary education, but they’re going to have to fund it on debt and look at graduating with higher levels of student debt,” said Sattler. The government also announced it’s investing an additional $6.4 billion into colleges and universities over four years. The move is being applauded by post-secondary institutions. Western University President Alan Shepard issued the following statement Thursday: “The Ontario Government’s tremendous funding commitments will ensure universities like Western can continue delivering the excellent education that our students deserve – and our economy needs. Western and our peer universities deliver so much for Ontario: through our students, our researchers, and our partnerships with communities and industries, we are strengthening the economy, improving healthcare, protecting the environment, and making an impact in the world, every day. With these new investments, we will be well primed to do even more for Ontario and Canada. I want to extend my personal thanks to Premier Doug Ford, Minister Nolan Quinn, and Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy for their commitments to students and the future of Ontario.” Shawn Hendrikx, president of the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association, says he’s cautiously optimistic, and hopes the new funding leads to more job stability. “We were experiencing death by a thousand cuts in terms of staff losses and faculty contracts not being renewed, and so on,” he explained. “And so, seeing that the Ontario government is willing to invest more is a positive sign.” Meanwhile, Fanshawe College issued the following statement in reaction to Thursday’s funding announcement for colleges and universities: “Fanshawe has been delivering job-ready, highly skilled graduates for almost 60 years and is encouraged with the $6.4 billion investment in Ontario’s public colleges and universities. We are currently reviewing the details of this funding to better understand its impact on operations and long-term financial sustainability. The investment recognizes how integral our students, graduates and programs are for the strength of Ontario’s economy. Sustainable, predictable funding remains essential to ensure we can continue delivering high-quality education, student supports and the programs our communities rely on. We look forward to continuing to work with government to serve the unique labour market and learner needs of southwestern Ontario.”
