Over 80 per cent of Ryerson students approve free tuition for low-income students, according to a recent provincial elections poll conducted by second year journalism students.
Tuition fees have increased by 40 per cent within the past decade in Ontario, claiming the highest tuition fees across Canada, according to Global News. The government already spends approximately $1.3 billion every year on blank, but last year the Government of Ontario introduced an extension to their OSAP funding program that would give students with household incomes under $50,000 free tuition for their post-secondary education. This year, one-third of post-secondary students in Ontario received this grant.
“I think this is a victory for students because the government never talks about free education, and I think this is a step towards what we are asking for as students,” said Francis Pineda, president of the Ryerson Fight the Fees campaign organized by CESAR.
This year, approximately 185,000 students have received free tuition from the government program, according to Global News. Ryerson particularly has had 9,500 students benefit from free tuition this year, a 13.5 per cent increase from last year in loans and grants from OSAP, according to the Eyeopener.
This new form of financial assistance provided by the government doesn’t require Ontarians to pay additional money to fund the program, rather it is an extension of the already funded OSAP program and will replace previous grant options.
“I think everyone deserves a right to education. There are some countries where they go to school for free. I think that is the ideal, but that this is a good start to getting there,” said Julia Fracassi, a third year professional communications student.
Ryerson currently participates in a campaign called Fight the Fees, a national objective with the intentions to pressure the Ontario government for free education for all students, including part-time students, full-time students and international students.
Next year OSAP applications will be opened earlier for registration, giving students the opportunity to calculate their eligible loans and grants sooner and receive their funds at the beginning of the school year.
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