Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he isn’t looking to increase tuition for post-secondary students at a press conference on Jan. 31.
“I don’t believe this is the time to go into these students’ pockets, especially the ones that are really struggling, and ask for a tuition increase,” the Premier said.
Ontario slashed tuition by 10 per cent in 2019 and has kept fees frozen since. Ford said he plans to work with universities to them, but called class sizes as small as six or seven students unacceptable.
Many universities in the province, including Queen’s, have attributed their financial woes to Ford’s tuition cuts. The tuition freeze has cost Queen’s $180 million, according to its FAQ page.
The blue-ribbon of post-secondary experts appointed by the government recommended in March 2023 that Ontario lift the cap on tuition. The labeled the tuition freeze a significant threat to the sector, and Queen’s University agreed.
Queen’s says the provincial tuition cut and decreased international enrolment have both contributed to a $48 million operating deficit.
The Canadian government announced plans last week to cap international student permit approvals to around 360,000, down 35 per cent from the number of approvals in 2023.
Post-secondary institutions in Ontario are highly reliant on international student tuition for student fee revenue because of the 2019 provincial tuition freeze, according to a report from Ontario’s Auditor General in 2022.
“[It’s a] fairly dramatic decision on the part of the government, which will have far-reaching ramifications,” Patrick Deane said at a Queen’s University Senate meeting on Thursday, addressing the cap on international students.
“The worst possible scenario would be that caps put in place would prevent our program numbers,” he added.
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