Students call on new Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities to commit to reducing tuition fees

TORONTO, June 24, 2014 /CNW/ - Reza Moridi, named Minister of Training Colleges and Universities in today's cabinet shuffle, has a lot of work to do to address the current crisis in Ontario's post-secondary education system.

"Minister Moridi is inheriting the responsibility to fix a college and university system that is underfunded, and to support a generation of youth who face record high tuition fees and student debt," said Alastair Woods, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario. "Students expect that Minister Moridi will take the opportunity of his new portfolio to make college and university education more affordable in Ontario."

Tuition fees in Ontario are the highest in the country for undergraduate and graduate programs and students collectively owe $2.8 billion in student debt to the provincial government alone.

Throughout the spring, students took action across the province with the message The Hikes Stop Here, calling on the government to reduce tuition fees for all students by 30 per cent over the next three years.

"Students look forward to working with the new Minister to reduce tuition fees," said Woods. "But if the Liberal government continues to allow tuition fees to increase, students will continue to take action to make affordable education a reality in Ontario."

The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario is the largest student organization in the province, representing over 350,000 college, undergraduate and graduate students from Windsor to Thunder Bay.

SOURCE: Canadian Federation of Students - Ontario

Kaley Kennedy, Communications and Government Relations Coordinator: ?647-302-3891 or [email protected]