Ontario tuition on the rise

By Grace Bauer

Ontario colleges may have to cut programs and raise tuition because the number of students enrolling is steadily declining.

There has already been a drastic tuition increase in the past 10 years. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says Ontario already has the highest tuition fees in the country and will see an increase of almost $1,000 from 2018 to 2019. The centre analyzed trends in academic finances and fees since 1993.

Statistics Canada says, “undergraduates in Newfoundland and Labrador ($2,759) and Quebec ($2,851) continued to pay the lowest average tuition fees in Canada. Undergraduate students in Ontario ($8,114) paid the highest average tuition fees in 2016/2017, followed by undergraduates in Nova Scotia ($7,218) and Saskatchewan ($7,177).”

James Fast is a second year student at St. Clair College, studying travel and tourism. He said that he believes that the tuition raise will cause even fewer students to enroll.

“I’m seeing a lot of companies and businesses look more at university degrees instead of diplomas. This could be another reason [fewer students are enrolling]. I’m not quite sure how the province can avoid this,” said Fast. “However, I believe with the consistency of trade job stability college will never be obsolete.”

On average, tuition and compulsory fees for Canadian undergraduate students have tripled between 1993-94 and 2015-16 and will continue to rise over the next four years, from $6,971 this fall to an estimated $7,590 in 2018-19.