Province Extends OTG Eligibility to Ontario's Co-op Students

TORONTO, Jan. 20, 2014 /CNW/ - Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Brad Duguid announced changes to the eligibility requirements for the 30-Off Ontario Tuition Grant (OTG) for Ontario's co-op students at a press conference at the University of Waterloo this morning. Students enrolled in five-year co-operative education programs will be provided with an additional year of OTG funding.

"Previously, students enrolled in five year co-op programs were ineligible for the 30-Off Ontario Tuition Grant in their final year of study," said Adam Garcia, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) Vice-President Administration and Vice-President Education of the Federation of Students (Feds) at the University of Waterloo. "OUSA is pleased with this eligibility extension as it will enable co-op students to access additional non-repayable financial assistance in their final year of study, and makes post-secondary education more affordable as students near their transition to the labour force."

OUSA has been a longtime proponent of co-operative education programs. A 2012 study found that 82 per cent of employers who offer co-op placements offered postgraduate employment to a former co-op student. Additionally, graduates from co-op programs earned on average $2-3 more per hour than students who did not participate in co-operative education programs.

Co-operative education programs provide students an opportunity to gain both hard and soft skills that will help ease their transition into the labour market post-graduation," said Amir Eftekarpour, OUSA President and Vice-President External of the University Students' Council at Western University (USC). "OUSA is committed to continuing to work with the provincial government to improve employment opportunities for recent graduates in Ontario."

About the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA)

OUSA represents the interests of over 140,000 professional and undergraduate, full- and part-time university students at eight member associations across Ontario.

SOURCE: Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Brandon Sloan, Director of Communications.

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