Media Advisory - Ontario students available for comment on new tuition fee framework

TORONTO, March 28, 2013 /CNW/ - Students will be available to comment on the new tuition fee framework immediately following its release. Last week, students from across Ontario met with over 60 Members of Provincial Parliament with recommendations for tuition fee policy in Ontario, including a plan to reduce tuition fees by 30 per cent over three years.

WHAT: Students respond to tuition fee framework
DATE: March 28, 2013
TIME: All day - after 9:20 AM

Students' recommendations for the new tuition fee framework can be found here.

THE FACTS:

• Average tuition fees in Ontario are the highest in the country, $7180 per year for undergraduate students and $8041 per year for graduate students.
• Government funding currently makes up only half of university and college operating budgets, compared to 75 per cent 30 years ago.
• Since 2006, tuition fees have increased as much as 71 per cent.
• In the last 20 years tuition fees have outpaced inflation by 601 per cent for undergraduate programs and by 435 per cent for college programs.
• Average international student tuition fees have more than doubled since 2006.
• Tuition fees for professional programs have reached record highs. For example, law students at University of Toronto are paying almost $28,000 per year.
• Ontario students owe $9 billion in loans to the provincial and federal governments.

The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario is the largest student organization in Ontario, uniting more than 300,000 college, undergraduate and graduate students in all regions of the province.

SOURCE: Canadian Federation of Students

Sarah Jayne King, Chairperson: 416-925-3825 (office) or 647-339-4070 (cell)
Michael Yam, Researcher: 416-925-3825 (office) or 647-218-9267 (cell)