Despite Liberal claims, new data shows Ontario least affordable province to study

TORONTO, April 15, 2014 /CNW/ - Comprehensive data on tuition fees and minimum wage released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives provides additional evidence that Ontario is the least affordable province in which to study. This evidence comes just days after the Liberal government started distributing misleading pre-election campaign materials stating they reduced tuition fees.

"The Liberals can continue to deceive the public, but the evidence is clear that under their leadership, Ontario has become the most unaffordable province to study in," said Alastair Woods, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario. "Fees are so high that the concept of paying for a university education with a summer job is now just a myth in the province."

As a result of record high tuition fees and stagnant wages, an Ontario student making minimum wage would have to work 708 hours, or almost 18 weeks full-time just to cover the cost of tuition fees. Ontario students need to work 444 hours, or 11 weeks full-time, more than their peers in Newfoundland and Labrador, where tuition fees have been frozen for 15 years.

The picture for professional faculties is even bleaker. A student looking to enroll in a dentistry program in Ontario would have to work full-time for 17 months at minimum wage to pay for one year of tuition fees alone. For medicine, it would take one year; for pharmacy, almost 14 months; and for law, eight months.

"Students have presented solutions to stop the tuition fee hikes and actually reduce tuition fees by 30 per cent for every student in Ontario," said Woods. "Instead of playing partisan games, the Liberal government should focus on addressing this crisis in our post-secondary education system."

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' interactive tuition fees map can be found here.

The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario is the largest student organization in the province, representing more than 350,000 college, undergraduate and graduate students in all regions of the province.

SOURCE: Canadian Federation of Students - Ontario

Alastair Woods, Chairperson: 647-378-8942 (cell) or [email protected]; Kaley Kennedy, Communications and Government Relations Coordinator: 416-925-3825 (office) or [email protected]