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NEWS RELEASE

March 27, 2024

OUSA Responds to the 2024 Ontario Budget

TORONTO - Yesterday, the Ontario government released Build a Better Ontario, the 2024 Ontario Budget. This budget focuses on securing Ontario’s financial stability as the province navigates rising inflation rates and the subsequent affordability crisis. It includes the recently announced $1.3 billion investment in Ontario’s post-secondary sector and a continued tuition freeze for domestic students. While students of Ontario are happy to see the maintenance of the tuition freeze and the additional investments in gender-based and sexual violence support, the provincial funding announced in this budget still falls short of what is needed to remedy the sector’s financial peril. To address the challenges students are currently facing and ensure the longevity of post-secondary education in Ontario, OUSA continues to urge the provincial government to further invest in student financial aid, student housing, campus mental health, and increased long-term funding solutions in the form of operating grants.  

Dear Premier Ford and Minister Bethlenfalvy,

Ontario’s students and universities have come together to urgently call for investment in universities in Budget 2024 – an investment in our province’s students, communities and future.

Last month’s announcement of $903 million over three years to Ontario’s postsecondary institutions was an important first step in addressing the immediate challenges of the sector.

NEWS RELEASE

February 26, 2024

TORONTO - Earlier today, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities announced a $1.3 billion funding package for post-secondary institutions. The package will include $903 million in stabilization funds for colleges and universities over three years, and top-up funding will be distributed on a by-need basis to institutions that apply. While OUSA is pleased to see the maintenance of the tuition freeze and the addition of funding to post-secondary institutions in need, concerns about the lack of sustainable funding solutions still stand. 

January 15th, 2024 – “At this critical juncture for the postsecondary sector, Ontario’s universities and their students, stand united in urging the government to take immediate action to invest in higher education.

NEWS RELEASE

November 27, 2023

 OUSA returns to Queen's Park for annual Student Advocacy Conference

TORONTO – This week, from November 27th to 30th, eighteen student leaders from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) are meeting with MPPs and their staff to discuss student concerns. OUSA represents 160,000 students from nine universities across Ontario, and our student representatives will be advocating for OUSA’s priorities on housing and transit, mental health, food insecurity, and sector sustainability.

NEWS RELEASE

November 15, 2023

Student Organizations Across the Country Release a Joint Publication on Sector Sustainability

TORONTO – As post-secondary jurisdictions across the country navigate ongoing financial precarity, six student advocacy organizations across Canada

 have come together to release Shared Perspectives: A Joint Publication Sector Sustainability. This year's publication looks at how provincial and federal governments can adopt student-centric sustainable funding practices to reduce the overreliance on student contributions in institutional funding while maintaining quality program and service delivery. Like many other sectors across the country, the post-secondary sector has had to adjust to cutbacks and austere funding, which can negatively affect students' access to academic and extracurricular experiences.

NEWS RELEASE

November 15, 2023

TORONTO - The Blue Ribbon Panel has released their final report with recommendations to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities on how to improve the financial viability of the post-secondary sector while considering student affordability and success. Earlier this year, OUSA provided a written submission to the Panel and was also invited to a virtual consultation to highlight student-centred recommendations on a variety of topics such as tuition, OSAP, government grants, and international students. Our submission can be found here.

NEWS RELEASE

October 20th, 2023

OUSA releases policy paper titled “Tuition”

TORONTO, ON - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is proud to release the third policy paper approved by OUSA’s Fall 2022 General Assembly, Tuition. The paper was written, approved, and published by students to express their concerns and offer recommendations regarding measures that actively improve the provincial tuition framework and its implications on student affordability. 

JOINT STATEMENT

October, 2023 - "It is a critical moment for higher education in Ontario. As the Blue-Ribbon Panel concludes its report to the government on the adequacy and stability of postsecondary funding, now is the time for government investment – because an investment in universities means an investment in our students and an investment in the province’s future.

NEWS RELEASE
September 7, 2023

OUSA Publishes Issue 17 of Educated Solutions: 

Our Evolving Partner in Education: Technology in Post-Secondary

TORONTO - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) has released Issue 17 of its annual magazine, Educated Solutions. This year's edition focuses on the role of technology in Ontario’s post-secondary sector, and the various areas that the government, stakeholders, and institutions must consider as they develop their strategic visions for the sector.

“As we continue to explore the possibilities and confront the challenges of technology-enabled education, conversations around its accessible and equitable use will play a vital role in shaping the future of post-secondary education,” said Vivian Chiem, President of OUSA and the Vice-President: Government & Stakeholder Relations at Wilfrid Laurier University Students' Union.“It is imperative that we work collectively to build a system that empowers learners, fosters innovation, and prepares individuals to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.”