Maccarrone,+Giovanni

**__Statistics__** Canadian tuition fees have risen throughout the years, however different periods have produced different trends. For example, when compared with inflation, fees declined between 1972 and 1981 (CAUT). From the period of 1990 to 2003, when adjusting to inflation, tuition increased by 107% (CAUT). The major trends seen are largely influenced by the 1998 deregulation of professional programs in Ontario (StatsCan). For example, a study completed from 1995-1996 to 2001-2002 showed a large increase in medicine (241%), dentistry (315%) and law (141%) (StatsCan). Morever, the fee of these three programs are higher than the average deregulated fees (OUSA1). For example, as of 2004 the tuition for the medicine and law programs at the University of Toronto were set at $16, 0000/year (OUSA2).
 * __Ontario__** **__Tuition Fees for Post-Secondary Schooling__**

Compared to British Columbia and Quebec, one notes a larger gap. Between the years of 1995-1996 and 2001-2002, fees increased only by 10%-12% in British Columbia and an average of 34% in Quebec (StatsCan). Generally speaking, Ontario is third highest out of the ten Canadian provinces in the price of undergraduate tuition at $5,381/year (cbcnews.ca). This places Ontario at around $800/year more than the national average (cbcnews.ca).

During Bob Rae’s tenure as Ontario Premier from 1990-1995 saw post-secondary tuition fees raise by 57 per cent (Roic) The appointment in office of Mike Harris between 1995 and 2002 also witnessed a dramatic change, especially regarding selected programs. Using their political slogan, they called their document of promised changes the “Common Sense Revolution” (Common Sense Revolution). In the document, it posited that post-secondary education was in need of funds to increase its quality to students. To accomplish this, the document outlined many changes. These changes included partially deregulating tuition over a two year period to allow schools to charge the necessary means to increase quality and a new income-contingent loan program. The program allowed students to repay their loans following graduation. The programs were also geared to future income so that students would not repay more than they can afford (Harris).
 * __Ontario__** **__Premiers and their Notable Moves Regarding Tuition (1990-Present Day)__**

Harris chose to increase tuition fees and target funds towards certain field, for example electrical engineering and computer science (Woolstencroft).

In addition, Harris cut post-secondary operating grants by 20 per cent (Rayment).

In 1998, the Harris government also deregulated tuition fees in professional programs (Stats Can). The deregulated caused a dramatic increase in Ontario tuition fees in professional programs as stated in a study conducted from 1995–1996 to 2001–2002. The changes saw an increase for medicine (241%), dentistry (315%), and law (141%) ( Frenette). In 2004, Premier Dalton McGiunty to freeze tuition fees. After only two years, in 2006 McGiunty lifted the freeze (CUPE).  In 2005, the McGuinty government enacted the Reaching Higher Plan. It was a $6.2 billion plan which was intended to improve accessibility, affordability and the quality of Ontario's universities and colleges. It caped the tuition of each institution at specific levels at only a 5% average across all programs. (Mills)

 **__Tuition Assistance__** There are programs available for Ontario students to have the financial means of going to post-secondary education. Founded in 1978, one of the most well known is called OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) (McGuinty). OSAP is managed by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, with funding coming from the provincial and federal governments (OSAP). The program provides loans, grants, scholarships and bursaries to those in need. It’s providing is based on one’s educational costs, income and expected assistance provided by parents or spouse (if applicable) (OSAP).

A Statistics Canada study from 1995-1996 to 2001-2002 showed an increase in enrolment in both lower and higher class students by 0.7% and 2.8% respectively (StatsCan). Although the increase in enrolment for lower class students is comparatively small in absolute terms, it’s as large an increase in relative terms (StatsCan). On the other hand, middle class students saw their enrolment dropped substantially (StatsCan). Frenette suggests that lower class students saw an increase was thanks to adjusted student aid, however he suggests that middle class students could not afford the increased tuition fees, however did not qualify for government assistance (StatsCan).
 * __Criticism of Tuition Increases and Government Assistance__**

Alliances have been founded to attempt to fight against issues such as tuition fee increases. Some of the most notable ones include The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) and Canadian Federation of Students (CFS).
 * __Alliances__**

__The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA)__ OUSA was formed in 1992 as an informal alliance between elected students’ governments (OUSA3). The goal of OUSA is to lobby the provincial government for change regarding issues affecting Ontario undergraduate students (OUSA3). OUSA has had many successes such as successfully lobbying for a two-year tuition freeze and associated funding for 2004/05 and 2005/06, and successful lobbying for $20.9 million in changes to student financial aid in the 2004 provincial budget (OUSA3).

__The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS)__ The Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) was formed in 1981 with the goal to unite students both provincially and nationally to represent collective interests (CFS). The CFS has had many successes throughout the years such as the 1993 defeat of a plan by the Ontario government and the Council of Ontario Universities to increase tuition fees by 50%, and the 2005-2006 lobbying of the Ontario government to increase post-secondary funding by over $1 billion and to restore up-front Ontario student grants (CFS Ontario).

**__Works Cited __** __CAUT __. CAUT. 5 Feb. 2009 .

__Cbcnews.ca__. 2009. CBC. 5 Feb. 2009 . __CFS Ontario __. 2007. CFS. 5 Feb. 2009 . 

__Common Sense Revolution__. 08. Wikipedia. 5 Feb. 2009 .

__Common Sense Revolution__. 08. Wikipedia. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_Revolution>.

__CUPE__. 2008. CUPE. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://cupe.ca/postsecondary/a4911f13f3ec86>.

__THE FACTS ABOUT TUITION & COST OF EDUCATION__. 2005. OUSA. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://www.ousa.on.ca/sef/page/id/38.html>.

__Frenette, Marc__. Statistics Canada. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:6SXMu5LO7yYJ:www.statcan.ca/english/research/11F0019 MIE/11F0019MIE2005264.pdf+The+Impact+of+tuition+fees+on+access+to+university+educatio n+in+Ontario&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ca>.

__Harris, Michael__. 1994. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://web.archive.org/web/20030831162726/http://www.ontariopc.com/feature/csr/csr_text.htm>. __<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #262a2c; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';"> McGuinty, Dalton __<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #262a2c; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';">. 2005. Government of Ontario. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/news/Product.asp?ProductID=115>. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #444444; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Segoe UI','sans-serif';"> __<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #262a2c; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';"> Mills, Carys __<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #262a2c; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';">. 2009. The Eyeoponer Online. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://www.theeyeopener.com/articles/3941-Cash-back-not-guaranteed>. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #444444; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Segoe UI','sans-serif';">

__OUSA__. 05. OUSA. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://www.ousa.on.ca/sef/page/id/38.html>.

__OUSA2__. 05. OUSA. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://www.ousa.on.ca/sef/in_the_news/id/57.html>. __<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #262a2c; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> OUSA3 __<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #262a2c; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN;">. 2005. OUSA. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://www.ousa.on.ca/sef/page/id/30.html>. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #444444; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Segoe UI','sans-serif';"> __<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #262a2c; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> OSAP __<span style="font-size: 11.5pt; color: #262a2c; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; mso-ansi-language: EN;">. 2009. OSAP. 5 Feb. 2009 <https://osap.gov.on.ca/eng/not_secure/about.htm>. <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #444444; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Segoe UI','sans-serif';">

__<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #444444; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Segoe UI','sans-serif';">Rayment, Joe __<span style="font-size: 10pt; color: #444444; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Segoe UI','sans-serif';">. Canadian University Press. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://www.cup.ca/jhm/2008/features_second.php>.

__Roic, Kristina__. Carleton. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://www.carleton.ca/ctown/archiv/feb2505/Insite1.htm>.

__Statistics Canada__. 2008. Statistics Canada. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-004-x/2006001/9183-eng.htm>.

__Woolstencroft, Peter__. University of Waterloo. 5 Feb. 2009 <http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:XdZVsaMdonUJ:www.yorku.ca/robarts/projects/canada- watch/pdf/vol_7_6/woolstencraft.pdf+mike+harris+deregulated+tuition&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=24&gl=ca>.