Media Advisory - Students available to comment on 2017 Ontario Budget
TORONTO, April 26, 2017 /CNW/ - Representatives of the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario will be available to comment on the 2017 Ontario Budget immediately following its release on Thursday, April 27.
This year, students presented a number of recommendations to the provincial government in a pre-budget submission titled Investment with Impact, including:
- Progressively reducing, and eventually eliminating tuition fees for all students through a 50/50 cost-sharing model with the federal government.
- Developing a four-year Strategic Student Success Fund to drive improvement and innovation in academic support services for students.
- Earmark funding for mental health support services in college and university operating grants and create a Mental Health & Wellness Division within the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development.
- Reintegrate international students into the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).
- Introduce culturally appropriate and trauma-informed trainings on indigenous realities, experiences and histories to post-secondary faculty, staff and administrators.
- Invest in an Open Educational Resources Innovation fund to research and develop open access textbooks, course materials and programs.
Students were also able to present these recommendations to over 60 Members of Provincial Parliament from all political parties as part of the Federation's 2017 Ontario Lobby Week. In addition to meeting with MPPs, students were able to meet with Premier Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development Deb Matthews, Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party Patrick Brown, and Opposition Critics for Advanced Education and Skills Development Peggy Sattler of the New Democrats and Lorne Coe of the Progressive Conservatives.
Read the full submission here.
| STUDENTS RESPOND TO 2017 ONTARIO BUDGET: |
|
| DATE: |
Thursday, April 27, 2017 |
| TIME: |
4:00 p.m. |
| PLACE: |
Queen's Park Gallery |
| WHO: |
Rajean Hoilett, Chairperson |
| Nour Alideeb, Chairperson-elect |
|
| Gayle McFadden, National Executive Representative |
|
| JUST THE FACTS: |
- Despite positive changes to OSAP and the introduction of the new Ontario Student Grant (to be rolled out in 2017-18), Ontario remains the most expensive province in which to pursue post-secondary education.
- The average debt for a student who must take on financial assistance to go to school is $27,000 after a four-year degree. Collectively, students in Canada owe $15 billion to the federal government and Ontario students owe $2.6 billion to the provincial government.
- Ontario has the lowest per student funding in Canada, 23 per cent below the Canadian average. Public funding now accounts for less than half of university and college operating budgets. At some institutions less than 40 per cent of funding comes from the government.
- Big changes are in store for Ontario colleges and universities this year, including the Ontario Student Grant, a reformed Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), and new college and university funding formulas.
The Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario unites more than 350,000 college and university students in all regions of the province.
SOURCE Canadian Federation of Students
Rajean Hoilett, Chairperson, at 416-925-3825 (office) or 289-923-3534 (cellphone) or [email protected]; Gayle McFadden, National Executive Representative at 416-925-3825 (office) or 416-885-5488 (cellphone) or [email protected].
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