Some of Ontario’s college and university students feel that they are being cheated out of resources available previously without being reimbursed.
Last year, Ontario cut tuition fees for colleges and universities by 10 per cent. But now amidst a global pandemic Ontario’s post-secondary students are asking for a bigger deduction as they feel they are receiving less than previous years.
Akash Maindiratta, a second-year Sports Management student at Brock University, is one of these students who is unhappy with how this term has started.
“Honestly I feel like my money isn’t being valued, the program’s tuition I am enrolled in is higher than Ontario’s average tuition cost, Yet I have friends that I know pay less for school than me but I feel like they could be getting more than me,” Maindiratta said in an interview.
Brock University has their domestic business tuition set at $8,327.95 compared to the average Ontario post secondary schools being around $7,209, according to Universities Canada, an advocacy group.
“I know some of my friends who are in college and they are paying less than me have things available to them that I do not, like scheduled live zoom calls with lectures where you have time to ask questions with professors.” Maindiratta who had experienced in-class lectures in his first year in 2019 says he compares his learning experience this year to the feeling of teaching himself. Last year, he felt more comfortable with the discipline of having a scheduled class and time with the professor.
Some post secondary students have decided to forgo this year of learning and try to find a job and make money as they dont want to be in school during a global pandemic. Chris Dye is one of those students.
“Personally I feel the best option for me was to take a year off of my Journalism program at Conestoga College and try to find a job for the year, I would rather wait to be able to sit in a class and listen to a teacher than try to through a computer,” Dye said.
Although Dye has not received his Journalism diploma from Conestoga College he says he still is able to use those skills he learned in his first year to help him line up job interviews.
“I have been able to land an internship interview for the company Riot Games, Using my knowledge of the games they produce such as League Of Legends and some of what I learned last year, I was still able to get my name out there without receiving my actual diploma,” Dye said.
But the question remains: are Ontario’s post secondary schools doing enough to help their students financially as COVID-19 has taken things like their fitness centers, most in class lectures, on site resources like computers and program specific equipment yet tuition costs have not lowered past the 10 per cent cut that was made last year.
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