A 10 per cent cut in tuition fees announced Thursday by the provincial government will have a negative effect on the ability of Ontario universities to provide the best possible learning experience, says a response from Council of Ontario Universities president David Lindsay.
A 10 per cent cut in tuition for domestic students announced Thursday by the Ontario government will reduce universities’ revenue by $360 million — and negatively affect their ability to provide the best possible learning experience for students, according to the president of the Council of Ontario Universities.
“Ontario universities understand the province’s fiscal realities and are committed to continuing to operate as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible,” David Lindsay said in response to the government’s announcement. “The current financial situation faced by universities should be viewed in the context of over 16 years of decreased funding.”
He said a healthy, financially sustainable university system is vital to Ontario’s economic and social well-being:
- preparing students for life-long meaningful careers,
- supplying employers with the skilled graduates they need,
- helping build thriving communities, and
- strengthening public services such as health care with high-quality professionals and innovative research.
Lindsay noted that per-student government operating grants to universities, when adjusted for inflation, have declined by 10.6 per cent since 2002-03 and that Ontario universities operate at the lowest cost in Canada.