NDP: Ford’s post-secondary cuts are leaving Ontario’s students with more uncertainty about the future

LONDON – Ontario NDP Shadow Minister for Colleges, Universities, Research, Excellence & Security, MPP Peggy Sattler (London West), issued the following statement in response to news that the Ford government is considering lifting Ontario’s tuition freeze:

“Students and young people have carried the weight of this government’s cuts for far too long, and now the Ford government is floating the idea of tuition hikes, without any clear plan to make education more affordable or accessible. That simply does not make sense.

“Raising tuition without fixing OSAP will shut more students out, especially at a time when Bill 33 is already making it harder to access education. If the Government wants to raise tuition fees, it must also commit to real OSAP reform – meaning converting future loans to grants and repaying interest on existing loans. That is the bare minimum that students deserve.

“Ontario already has the lowest per-student funding in the country. Colleges and universities are laying off thousands of staff – one of the highest amounts of mass staff layoffs in the province’s history – cutting hundreds of programs and closing campuses.

“Instead of forcing students and families to carry the weight, this government should be stepping up with stable, long-term investments. You can’t build Ontario’s future by bankrupting its students.”