What to know

Doug Ford’s government will allow colleges and universities to raise tuition by up to two per cent annually starting in September, ending a seven-year freeze.

OSAP funding will shift significantly, with students now eligible for a maximum of 25 per cent in grants and at least 75 per cent in loans.

The province says it will invest $6.4 billion in additional operating funding over four years to support institutions facing financial strain, including impacts from federal international student caps.

Students in Toronto say the changes add uncertainty and pressure, with some reconsidering financial aid plans and others worrying about long-term accessibility for future generations.

Toronto students are sharing their takes after Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government revealed it would be lifting a seven-year tuition freeze and decreasing grants for post-secondary education. 

The Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security announced the funding changes on Thursday, saying the move is necessary for the “long-term sustainability” of schools amid financial pressure, especially after the federal government introduced caps to limit international student permits. 

Starting September, public universities and colleges will be allowed to increase their tuition by up to two per cent per year during three years, and up to two per cent or the three-year average rate of inflation following that initial period. 

In addition, students can now receive a maximum 25 per cent of Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding in grants and a minimum of 75 per cent in loans.

The provincial government is also increasing its annual operating funding for universities and colleges, investing an additional $6.4 billion over the next four years. 

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Toronto students worry about funding

Last year, a CIBC study revealed that about 48 per cent of post-secondary students in Canada were struggling to meet costs, with many having to depend on parents to afford studying and living. 

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With the new funding changes in Ontario, some students in Toronto say they expect the pressure to increase even more. 

Eliana, who is a student at the University of Toronto, says she is currently on a full-tuition waiver, but the discount will not apply to her last two years in school. At first, she said she was considering getting OSAP funding, but the province’s announcement made her reflect on her plans.

“I don’t know if that’s still a great idea for me now that it’s mostly loans rather than grants, but at the same time, the lack of tuition freeze means I’m going to be even less able to pay it out of pocket. So as a lower middle-class individual, I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” she told Now Toronto. 

The student also said at first she was expecting to pay $8,000 a year in tuition, but with the lift on tuition freezes, she no longer knows what to expect. 

“That was already sort of difficult, but now sort of not knowing how far that might climb exactly, that’s definitely worrying for me,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Oscar, who has a dual Canada-U.S. citizenship, says he originally chose to attend university in Toronto because the prices were much lower and consistent than south of the border. Now that the funding has changed, he says more students could consider a different choice. 

“I guess the two per cent tuition wouldn’t affect me as much in the two years I have left, but it’s definitely not a good look at all for what Canadian schools pride themselves on being, as being more accessible and affordable to as many people as possible,” he said. 

“I still would have chosen Canada, because at this point, it’s still far cheaper, but it’s definitely a bad sign going forward for this means it could get to a point where it’s not really a more affordable option than other international schools.” 

Changes to impact future students

A different Toronto student, Georgia, said that while the funding changes will not particularly impact her, she believes it might discourage future generations from pursuing higher education. 

“I think we will see, obviously, not immediate impacts, but there will be detrimental impacts down the line, because it just limits accessibility to education. It’s really that simple. There’s no other way to put it,” she said.

“If education isn’t instilled to you from a young age, and then, at the same time, there’s a financial restriction, the incentive to go to school is going to slowly decline.” 

In fact, Grade 12 student Ashok, who is planning on studying political science and economics at U of T, said the possible added costs are causing growing pressures at home. 

“Definitely [it] is going to put a lot of pressure on my parents, especially when I do get that admission, trying to figure out the fees and the loans, especially from going to do residency here, it’s going to add up the costs a lot,” he said. 

For now, Ashok said his degree is set to cost about $6,000-$10,000 per year, while he has applied for OSAP and tuition grants, but being uncertain about a set cost is adding to the pressure. 

“[It] is not a problem for [my parents]. It’s just they don’t want to have a heart attack, when they see, ‘Oh, my god, $21,000.’ So, I think it’s just letting them know and [the] pressure.”