Fighting the Fees

By Julianna Bonnett

Hundreds of  students at the University of Windsor gathered on campus last Thursday to rally against rising tuition fees.

Students showed up to the Fight the Fees protest, which some called a national day of action. According to CBC news, tuition for most University of Windsor students jumped three per cent jump within the last year.

Amanda Skocic, a University of Windsor political science and French student, said she hopes the protest helps people realize the struggle the students are having.

“It makes it difficult for students to access post-secondary education because there is a barrier,” said Skocic, referring to the high costs of post-secondary education.

For most Canadian university students, the average student graduates with over $28,000 of debt. During the protest, Alan Wildeman, President of the University of Windsor, addressed the crowd briefly.

“Listen, we’re not the highest and we’re not the lowest,” said Wilderman, talking about UWindsor’s tuition. “For domestic students, I believe the OSAP reform has been good.”

Wilderman also pointed out that ideas to improve access to education are always being implemented.

The protest was held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and a lot of students were happy with the turnout.

“We drew in a lot of attention. We’re trying and we will be able to do this if we keep it up,” said Lauren Mulroney, a University of Windsor student. “Free tuition for every student is vital.”

For many students, the Fight the Fees protest was a success.

According to UWSA Vice-President Admira Konjic, dates for future protests have not been decided yet but are set to happen in the future.