Issues relating to tuition have been discussed in public forums around campus lately, with much of the discussion being directed towards the Ontario government’s recent tuition rebate initiative.
On Jan 26. In the Science Complex atrium, university President Alastair Summerlee, Guelph MP Liz Sandals, Ontario Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Glen Murray and undergraduate representative of the U of G Board of Governors Guillaume Blais all spoke to the gathered crowd about the tuition rebate.
The rebate is restricted to undergraduate students within four years of high school and dependant on the income of the student’s parents. It amounts to approximately 30 per cent of tuition costs, or $800 per semester.
“It’s permanent and it’s indexed into inflation so it will retain its value over the years,” said Murray when asked about the future of the grant, confirming that it will scale with any future tuition increases that may occur.
He also mentioned that some of the restrictions currently in place may not remain in place indefinitely.
“We’re launching it right now as we can afford it,” he said. “The previous Conservative government had raised tuition by 67 per cent and the half a billion dollars out of the system. We’re trying to rebuild it.”
Tuition was further discussed in the University Centre courtyard by CSA commissioners Demetria Jackson, Jessica Carter and Drew Garvie and the floor was also opened up for people to discuss issues relating to tuition as they had affected them.
More than anything, the event served to raise awareness and passers-by were encouraged to sign a banner showing their support of tuition reductions. The banner was then affixed with balloons– the event was styled around preventing “ballooning” tuition costs– and floated to the ceiling of the University Centre courtyard, facing south towards the offices of the administration.
Issues brought up by the speakers included the aforementioned restrictions on the tuition rebate. Drew Garvie, the CSA communications and corporate affairs commissioner, also highlighted that the rebate was misleading due to the relatively low percentage of students who can benefit from it.
Garvie also drew attention to other student movements against tuition in Quebec and Chile, where students drew attention to tuition issues by striking or taking to the streets, encouraging students to speak out.
His sentiments were echoed by Jaime Brenes Reyes, a masters student in Latin American and Caribbean studies , who spoke about the importance of demonstration.
Reyes also spoke alongside Sandals and Blais at a roundtable discussion held by the CSA where he spoke of similar issues, and encouraged people that “nothing is going to change without action.”
Loading ...
