York students freeze to drop tuition fees in ten-day camp out

TORONTO, Jan. 23, 2012 /CNW/ - Students at York University started a ten-day camp out to protest the rising cost of post-secondary education in Ontario and bring attention to a National Day of Student Action that will occur on February 1.

"Successive governments of all political stripes have left Ontario students out in the cold through reckless funding cuts to post-secondary education and unsustainably high tuition fees that have made Ontario the most expensive province in which to study," said Alastair Woods, Vice President Campaigns and Advocacy for the York Federation of Students.

The students also hope to highlight the inequities and limitations of the new tuition grant introduced by the Ontario government, for which two-thirds of students are ineligible.

"Despite a promise to reduce tuition fees by 30 per cent during the provincial elections, Dalton McGuinty has left a majority of students behind," said Woods. "To add insult to injury, the government of Ontario has also cut more than $112 million in grants and scholarships to pay for this selective program," he added.

On February 1, York students will join thousands of college and university students in a march to Queen's Park to demand the provincial government make affordability of post-secondary education a priority for all students in the next provincial budget and tuition fee framework. Tens of thousands of students are expected to participate in towns and cities across Canada will be participating in the Day of Action.

"Regardless of whether or not a student gets the new grant, tuition fees will still rise next year unless we act now to prevent it," said Woods. "The Ontario government has misled students and their families to win an election. February 1 is our chance to demand that Dalton McGuinty keep his promise and reduce tuition fees for all Ontario students.'"

The York Federation of Students is one of Canada's largest students' unions, representing over 50,000 full- and part-time undergraduate students at York University in Toronto.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Hamid Osman, Executive Director, York Federation of Students:
[phone]

Alastair Woods, camper and Vice President Campaigns and Advocacy, York Federation of Students:
[phone]