Ford Government Fee Policy Will Save Students Way Less Than Promised $1,000

TORONTO — The Ontario government’s “Student Choice Initiative” will save students far less than the $1,000 per year the Progressive Conservatives said it would.

The policy lets Ontario university students opt out of paying certain fees, like those for student unions and clubs, for the first time this year. 

Most undergraduate students at York University can save a maximum of $2.86 per credit by declining to pay charges like 11 cents to fund the Centre for Women and Trans People, 17 cents for a legal aid program and $1.28 for a student union. At York’s Glendon College, students have the option to save two cents per class if they don’t want to support the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) club. 

A full course load at York is 30 credits, so students can save a maximum of $85.80.

Students at some other schools will be able to save more.

At Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., a full-time undergraduate student can save up to $188. The student union there collects $64 for operations, $29 for events and $6 for clubs and student media. 

In some cases, students who opt out of certain fees will no longer be able to access services or attend events. 

For example, at Brock University, first-year students who don’t pay the $113 “engagement levy” won’t be able to attend student union events without paying at the door. 

Provincewide, students who want to opt out of health and dental plans, which could save them hundreds of dollars, have to prove they already have other insurance coverage. 

Government said students could save $1,000

The government originally said the policy could save students up to $1,000 a year. 

Some student groups have said the policy will be disastrous for them because they rely on student levies for funding. 

Two student unions are taking the government to court over the policy. The Canadian Federation of Students and the York Federation of Students argue that the government is unfairly going after student unions and interfering with the ability of universities to make their own decisions. 

Premier Doug Ford celebrated the funding cut for what he called “crazy Marxist nonsense” that student unions “get up to” in a fundraising email to supporters in February.

A spokeswoman for Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Ross Romano did not address HuffPost Canada’s question about the disparity between what the government said students could save and what they will actually save. 

“The Student Choice Initiative will ensure that ancillary fees are clearly communicated to all students, so that students may choose which services they support on their campuses. It is our Government’s priority to ensure that access to essential health and safety programs, such as mental health and counselling, are maintained on public campuses,” Tanya Blazina said in an email. 

“As this matter is before the courts, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

Every university has a deadline that students must opt out by. Most of them are coming up in September and October; but at some schools, like the University of Guelph, the deadline has already passed.

Find a breakdown of your school’s optional fees and instructions for opting out with the links below: 

Colleges:

• Algonquin College
• Cambrian College
• Canadore College
• Centennial College
• Conestoga College
• Confederation College
• Durham College
• Fanshawe College
• Fleming College
• George Brown College
• Georgian College
• Humber College
• Lambton College (fee list not updated for 2019/20 year)
• Loyalist College
• Mohawk College
• Niagara College
• Northern College
• Ridgetown Campus (University of Guelph)
• Sault College
• Seneca College
• Sheridan College
• St. Clair College
• St. Lawrence College

Universities: 

• Algoma University
• Brock University
• Carleton University
• Lakehead University
• Laurentian University
• McMaster University
• Nipissing University
• OCAD University
• Ontario Tech University
• Queen’s University
• Ryerson University
• Trent University
• University of Guelph
• University of Ottawa
• University of Toronto
• University of Waterloo
• University of Windsor
• Western University
• Wilfrid Laurier University
• York University

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that most York University students would only save $2.86 per year — that amount can actually be saved per credit. In total, students would save $85.80, if they have a full course load and opt out of all fees.