The Ontario government’s $6.2 billion injection into post-secondary education revealed in the May 11 budget will end a period of difficult financial constraints for the University, said VP (Academic) Suzanne Fortier.
“It doesn’t mean our world will change overnight because these reinvestments will phase in over a period of five years,” she said. “[But] at least we will be able to reverse the trend we’ve been on.”
Fortier said the University is hoping to put new money towards decreasing the student-faculty ratio.
“We’d like to increase the opportunity for interactions between students and their professors and other students in the classrooms … and start to reduce class sizes.”
AMS VP (University Affairs) Shiva Mayer said the budget shows the government’s student-positive mindset, which will be crucial in 2006 when the current tuition freeze is lifted.
“What we’d like to see going forward from this is to regulate tuition,” he said, adding that students need predictability to budget for their education.
Budget highlights include:
• $932 million increase in operating grants to universities and colleges by 2007-08
• $282 million in student financial aid by 2007-08
• 32,000 new student grants of up to $6,000 for the lowest-income students
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