President’s message on Ontario’s changes to tuition, OSAP
Ryerson faces approximately five per cent reduction in operating budget due to provincial changes in tuition and OSAP.
On Thursday morning, Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU), announced changes to tuition, OSAP and student fees. These changes will have a significant impact on Ontario students and their education:
- All Ontario universities and colleges are required to reduce tuition fees by 10 per cent by September 2019 followed by a freeze in tuition in the following year;
- Changes to how ancillary fees are categorized (mandatory or optional) and charged to students; and
- Changes to how OSAP award amounts will be calculated and the repayment of Ontario student loans.
Ryerson recognizes the financial benefit a reduction in tuition will bring to our students; however it is not without its challenges. A 10 per cent reduction in tuition represents approximately a five per cent reduction in Ryerson’s total operating budget. It will be challenging to implement this budget cut without affecting our ability to deliver the highest quality programming for our students and have the greatest economic impact for Ontario.
Promoting access to a quality post-secondary education is one of our core values at Ryerson and we will continue to put the needs of our students first. Preparing students for the jobs of the future is an essential part of what we do here, which in turn makes a positive contribution to our economy while driving positive societal change for all.
As we have just learned of these cuts from the provincial government, we are currently assessing what the full impact may be on the university and on our students. Ryerson is at the beginning stages of our annual budget process for 2019-20. The Provost, Michael Benarroch, will be leading our budget process, which will be open, transparent and consultative to establish the university’s priorities for the next fiscal year. As always, we will place an emphasis on being cost-effective in order to continue offering a high-quality post-secondary education and engaging student experiences.
We will also continue to work with the university sector and the provincial government to better understand the implications of the changes to tuition, OSAP and fees and we will provide more details to our entire community as they become available.
Mohamed Lachemi
President and Vice-Chancellor