TUITION FEES HISTORY & OVERVIEW

Contents:

1. Myth or Fact?
2. Post-Secondary Education Issues Research Digest
3. The Rae Review
4. Tuition Fees History & Overview
5. GSU Position Statements
6. Tuition as a Percentage of Operating Budgets
7. Increasing Reliance on Emergency Funding
8. Resources
   
   
   

MYTH OR FACT?

The Canadian Federation of Students has put together a document entitled "Myth or Fact?: A Guide To Common Myths About The Importance Of Reducing Tuition Fees." You can view it here (pdf).

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POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION ISSUES RESEARCH DIGEST

The Canadian Federation of Students has produced the Post-Secondary Education Issues Research Digest - a compilation of national and international research which emphasizes access to post-secondary education. You can view the latest edition here (pdf).

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THE RAE COMMISSION: ONTARIO'S REVIEW OF THE DESIGN AND FUNDING OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION


In the May 2004 Ontario Budget, former Premier Bob Rae was appointed to lead a comprehensive review of the Design and Funding of Post-Secondary Education in Ontario. Mr. Rae, along with a seven member Advisory Panel, released a discussion paper in the fall of 2004. Following that, consultations with students, university administrators, faculty, staff and members of the private sector were conducted. Premier Dalton McGuinty, and the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, Mary Anne Chambers will be considering this report before implementing changes to address problems facing our post-secondary system.

The final report has now been released - you can view it at: http://www.raereview.on.ca/en/report/default.asp?loc1=report

Although students from across the province had a very strong presence at all the meetings and town halls, advocating to keep the tuition fee freeze, members of the panel have been quoted stating they had every intention of recommending an end to the freeze. In addition, under the heading "go now, pay later", the discussion around a regressive system of "Income contingent loan repayment
schemes" was reintroduced. THIS PROGRAM OF STUDENT LOANS AND REPAYMENT HAS BEEN FOLLOWED BY SKYROCKETING TUTION FEES WHEREVER IT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED.

We will continue to voice our demand for the provincial government to maintain the tuition fee freeze and to increase funding to our universities. The provincial government can make the right choice by making our universities accessible without jeopardizing quality.

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Write To Your MPP!! - Rae Report Recomendations

Here are some of the Rae report recommendations in point form.

- The addition of $1.3 billion in extra public funding over 3 years: obviously this is a welcome step and would ONLY bring Ontario closer to the National average. In fact, Ontario will require $ 1.5 billion to be at par with other provinces. The difference of $200 million, it seems, is reserved for revenues from student tuition fee hikes.

- Grants: The creation of an upfront grant program is also a welcome step, however only students from very low income backgrounds will qualify (less than $22 000/year). This constitutes 5% of students currently. Those with parents making up to $35 000 (roughly 11% of the student population) will receive partial grants. This means that a family of four whose parents work for $9.00/hr will not qualify for a tuition grant as they are above the $35 000 threshold. Note that graduate students will not be eligible to receive grants at all, as grants are only available for the first four years of education, and thus those unfunded students will have to bear the full cost
of tuition.

- Deregulation of tuition fees: Deregulation of fees means that universities can set whatever fees they feel necessary. When professional degree fees were deregulated in 1998, tuition increases were between 40 and 700%. Law students now face up to $22 000 in yearly fees. Absurd fees such as these have resulted in a decline in the enrollment of students from racial minorities and those from low income backgrounds, even when loans were available as ‘financial aid’.

- Definition of dependent: The report suggests the definition of a dependent when calculating mandatory parental contribution for OSAP to be extended to 25 years of age, meaning many students will still have to require parental support even when they are in graduate school and have moved out years earlier.

- Loans and debt: If you don’t qualify for a grant and can’t afford tuition then a student loan is your only option. As the call for deregulation results in increased fees, students will have to take out larger loans. The report suggests a system of unsubsidized private loans for parents. Since the definition of dependency could be extended to 25 years of age, students who can no longer obtain money from their parents (for many reasons) will be given the option to apply for unsubsidized interest bearing loans themselves.

- Removal of the Ontario Student Opportunity grant which forgives any loan amounts over $7000/year.

- Funding for Research and the creation of a research council: the report calls for the doubling of graduate students spots over ten years. The Research council will report to the premier and prioritize research directions. Membership in this council, the report suggests, will include
members of the private sector as well as ‘experts’ on applied and commercial research.

What You Can Do:

Email the premier to let him know what you think of the Rae report: go to
http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/english/contact/

Contact your MPP. You can find their contact numbers at http://www.electionsontario.on.ca/fyed/en/form_page_en.jsp

For more in-depth analysis of the Rae Report:
check out the Canadian Federation of Students’ report (pdf)

For the full Rae report:
http://www.raereview.on.ca/en/report/default.asp?loc1=report

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Bob Rae Calls For Higher Tuition Fees and Higher Student Debt

Canadian Federation of Students - Feb 7, 2005
Students’ fears about Bob Rae’s post-secondary education review were fulfilled today. Rae, a long time advocate of higher tuition fees and higher student debt, called for steep tuition fee hikes along with increased private and public student loan debt. In addition, Rae did call for more public funding and a system of grants for low-income students.

“ There are a lot of bells and whistles in this report but the bottom line is more debt for students and their families,” said Jesse Greener, Ontario Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. “At $6,000, Bob Rae anticipates Ontario tuition fees rising to the highest in the country.”

Throughout his report Rae sets the student financial assistance threshold at $6,000 to cover tuition fees—an increase of at least $1,000 from today’s undergraduate average. In addition, Rae calls for a parallel private loan system to accommodate even higher tuition fees.

While Rae does call for grants for low-income students, only families earning less than $22,615 would be eligible. Students from homes with family income between $22,615 and $35,000 would receive some form of grant to cover a portion of tuition fee costs but all those above that income threshold would finance their education exclusively through loans.

“ Students welcome the fact that Rae is calling for the restoration of grants in Ontario after he eliminated our grants program as Premier,” said Greener. “However, throughout this process Bob Rae has argued that ‘rich’ students need to pay more. It will come as a surprise to Ontarians that he considers any family with income above $35,000 to be wealthy.”

Rae’s report also calls for the deregulation of tuition fees. Under Rae’s plan, institutions would be free to charge whatever the market will bear as long as they meet superficial and administrative criteria.

“ We know from past experience university administrators will maximize fee hikes. This is a good news day for elitist universities like Queen’s and Western” said Greener. “What Bob Rae has given us today is all of the worst aspects of the U.S. and the U.K. systems.”

Rae’s call for fee deregulation and increased loans closely mirrors the system in the United Kingdom. Like the UK model, Rae also calls for a body to monitor access. Rae simply ignored the volumes of data and research that suggests that access has suffered under Blair’s model and that low income students have borne the brunt of the reforms. For example, Claire Callendar, Professor of Social Policy, South Bank University has derisively mocked the access framework in the UK as a “toothless body ignored by all.”

“ Rae’s travelling road show was a public relations exercise. Mr Rae’s mind was always closed on the issue of tuition fees. The question now is whether Dalton McGuinty will buy into Mr Rae’s dream of higher tuition fees and student debt,” said Greener.

The Tuition Fees Campaign News is available at: http://www.raereview.on.ca/en/report/default.asp?loc1=report

GSU submission
We have put together our own submission to the Rae Commission. You can read it here (pdf). Many thanks to all of the students who contributed to this document by participating in our survey. Please contact Rose Da Costa at rose.dacosta@utoronto.ca or 978-2391 if you would like additional copies.

U of T submission
The University has released its own Context paper for submission to the Rae Commission. You can read it at www.raereview.utoronto.ca

Materials and Resources

A breakdown of the ins-and-outs of the Tuition Fees Campaign News and what's at stake:

Tuition Fees Campaign News presentation (pdf)

Tuition Fees Campaign News Presentation (powerpoint)

CFS Fact Sheets:

Income Contingent Repayment Loan Schemes (pdf)

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TUITION FEES HISTORY AND OVERVIEW

Of the 11,404 graduate students at U of T, fully 4,142 are not funded, and the remaining 7,262 are expected to live in Toronto on $12,000/year. 

Every year (the past was no different), students at U of T fight against excessive tuition increases. 2002 saw the first step on a slippery slope to raising Law School tuition to $22,000/year! GSU representatives spoke out against these regressive tactics, pressuring the university to work with us to increase access and lower fees. Despite a good turnout to protests on February 6 and at Governing Council meetings, the increases passed again in 2002.

Below is a record of the outrageous increases in tuition at U of T:

The tuition amounts listed here are for Doctoral students and Doctoral Stream Master's degrees only. Professional Master's students pay more! International students pay twice the domestic fee.

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Let's work together to oppose tuition increases:

We all believe in a quality education and in the continued improvement of University of Toronto U of T must stop lobbying for full university governance control (which amounts to deregulation) of fees and instead expose the crisis in post-secondary education funding, and join students in demanding funding be restored to appropriate levels.  Our collective voices, and a clear refusal on the part of the Governing Council to offload inadequate government financing onto students will send a clear message to the Government -- and could indeed affect the way education is viewed in the upcoming election. The false notion that financial aid is a panacea for outrageous tuition fees must be exposed - many students are not eligible for student loans or financial aid, yet do not have sufficient funds to pay tuition.  These students turn to bank loans, credit cards, food banks, and emergency assistance.  The effects of debt, whether government subsidized or not, must be exposed.   Without taking into account all forms of debt, the University of Toronto does not really live up to it's promise of financial accessibility to all. We do not accept the U of T Provostial report on tuition fees and accessibility [pdf].  The report is inconclusive at best, and does not examine the kinds of increases being considered by U of T. Many organizations, including the CFS, and even the Canadian Bar Association, acknowledge that it is clear that increased tuition causes "sticker shock", decreasing the number lower-income of applicants to programs.  In addition, career choice must be inevitably affected, especially in the field of Law, where there is a wide range of salaries between community law and corporate law. Public funding for post-secondary education in Ontario is the lowest in Canada and the second lowest in North America!  It is a little known fact that in all but one state in the U.S., the per-student public funding is greater than in Ontario.  This is a shameful situation, and we demand our Governing Council take a courageous stand against it.  The Governing Council has recognized this in the past, and must do so again.  By refusing to be complicit by raising tuition, we can expose the financial crisis for what it is, and gain public support for our University.  The provincial government does not see tuition as a necessary means to fund education and maintain quality, as claimed by University administration, but rather as a way to hold students "accountable" for future benefits they may (or may not) receive.  Are tuition fees punitive or practical?  The Government seems to indicate the former.  Hon. Diane Cunningham, Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities, at the Canadian Club on March 3rd, 2003: "Students should be accountable to bear a fair share of the cost of their postsecondary education. Is postsecondary education a public good? Absolutely. Does society benefit? Of course. That is why each year Ontario taxpayers invest billions in postsecondary education. [...] But postsecondary education is also a student good which directly benefits them. That is why there is tuition."

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Tuition as a Percentage of the Operating Budget

In 1992 the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario announced that "Tuition fees should be allowed to rise ... to 25 percent of the operating costs."  In 2001, the U of T Operating Budget was funded 37.7% by student fee revenue.  The overall budget, including ancillary services, capital projects, and donations for restricted purposes was funded 28.7% by student fee revenue.  That's $299,753,000 of money from some of the poorest residents of the province of Ontario!  Is the government proud to have gone beyond it's goal, financially suffocating students more than planned?

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Increasing Reliance on Emergency Bursaries

These bursaries are supposed to go to students in serious financial need or with special circumstances.  If our aid programs are as good as the administration would make us believe, then why will graduate students need over $1.41 million is emergency aid this year?

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Resources (open a new window)

• Middle and low income families less likely to access university: Gap in participation rates has widened since 1986
   
• New report on higher education: Quality and access compromised
   
• Low income families excluded from universities: Report
   
• Tuition Fees in Canada: A Pan-Canadian Perspective on Educational User Fees [pdf]

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TUITION FEES CAMPAIGN NEWS

1. Tuition Fee Increase - Ontario Students Building A Fight Back!
2. Higher Fees Mean Higher Student Debt
3. 98% of UofT Students Vote to Freeze & Reduce Tuition Fees
4. Students Demand Clarification From McGuinty: Are Tuition Fee COnsultations A Sham?
5. Students Fax Urgent Message To Premier: Freeze Tuition Fees
6. York University Announces Graduate Tuition Fee Freeze Until 2008

For a history and overview of Tuition Fees, click here

1. TUITION FEE INCREASE – ONTARIO STUDENTS BUILDING A FIGHT BACK!
March 1st, 2006

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s tuition fee policy will be announced any day as to how much more students will have to pay for their education beginning September 2006. A tuition fee hike higher than 2% - which is widely expected –  will mean that McGuinty’s policy is worse than that of the previous government.  Students are organising to take action in response to the tuition fee increase and are planning various events across the province. The GSU, along with other Toronto area students’ unions, have organised the following events for our members. Please come and help build the province-wide fight back.

1. Monday, March 6 @ 5:00 pm – Emergency Meeting in the GSU basement lounge (16 Bancroft Avenue). Dinner will be provided.

2. Day after the tuition fee announcement @ NOON – Emergency picket at 900 Bay  St., the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (corner of Bay and Wellesley).

DOWNLOADS

- You can download and help circulate the petition here. (pdf)

- Please download and circulate a poster here (pdf - tabloid size), to help spread the word about the above. If you are unable to print tabloid-size, you can obtain an 8” x 11” version by contacting Rose Da Costa at rose.dacosta@utoronto.ca

To get involved or get details contact VP External, Gina Trubiani at vpexternal.gsu@utoronto.ca

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2. HIGHER FEES MEAN HIGHER STUDENT DEBT
March 1st, 2006 - Toronto Star

When Premier Dalton McGuinty froze tuition fees in September 2004, fees in Ontario were the second highest in Canada for undergraduate students and the highest in the country for graduate students. Now the Premier is preparing to increase fees again.

The ministry of colleges and universities is attempting to allay Ontario families' concerns by touting its $358 million investment in student assistance over the next four years, including a new grant program.

But Ontario parents have cause to be concerned. Based on annual total tuition fee revenue collected by colleges and universities in 2002-2003, a 2 per cent annual tuition fee increase over the next four years will effectively wipe out more than half of the student financial assistance investment to be phased in over the same period.

A 4 per cent increase over four years will mean families will pay an additional $472 million — $14 million more than the student financial assistance allocation.

In this scenario, for every dollar invested in student aid, more than a dollar will be clawed back in the form of fee increases. If tuition fees increase by 6 per cent, the claw back will be even greater — $1.61 for every new student aid dollar.

As a result, low- and modest-income students will be taking out loans to finance their own — and others' — debt program. Here's why:

Only a sliver of Ontario students are eligible for the new Ontario grants. A family of five with an annual income of $36,000 will not be eligible for grants. Yet such a family will have to pay next year's higher tuition fees. In other words, if a $100 grant is allocated, but tuition fees increase by $100, poor students are no better off.

But if you are one of the kids from a family earning $36,000 a year who won't qualify for grants, you will have to go even further into debt to pay for the fee increase.

While recent changes announced by the McGuinty government will see more families eligible for debt through the student assistance program, the fact is that debt will accumulate the fastest for modest, middle-income families who can't afford to pay the tuition fee hike up front. And the vast majority of post-secondary students come from average families who are already struggling to pay high fees.

Debt aversion is one of the leading barriers to higher education among low- and modest-income families; on this point there is near universal agreement. Yet, while this government claims to be targeting underrepresented groups to encourage enrolment, it is simultaneously preparing fee increases that will block access.

We are starting to see a glimpse of what high fees will mean for Ontario families. Last September, Statistics Canada reported a 50 per cent decline in the likelihood of enrolment in high-fee programs among students from middle-income families. In the meantime, the shamefully low participation rates among lower-income students persist.

McGuinty started his mandate with promise. He began to restore the much-needed funding for colleges and universities. He pledged to freeze tuition fees for at least two years. Yet, just when Ontario's post-secondary system seemed poised to improve access and lead the way for other provinces in Canada, McGuinty has abruptly changed course.

Over five years, new post-secondary education funding will barely bring Ontario's colleges and universities to the national average — not enough for our system to reach higher, and barely enough to maintain mediocrity.

Instead of exploring alternatives to further burdening Ontario families with tuition fee hikes, McGuinty has opted to resurrect the policies of the Mike Harris government.

If McGuinty announces a tuition fee hike of more than 2 per cent, this government's policies on access to education will actually be worse than those of the previous government — something few expected when they heeded McGuinty's call to "choose change" in the last election.

Jesse Greener is Ontario Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students.
www.thestar.com

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Students at the University of Toronto voted over 98% to freeze and reduce tuition fees. The official results of the campus-wide plebiscite conducted from November 1 to 3 demonstrate a nearly universal consensus that tuition fees are already too high.

“This vote shows just how concerned students are about the direction being taken by the current government,” said Jesse Greener, Ontario Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students, referring to a recent announcement by Premier Dalton McGuinty that tuition fees would be increasing in September 2006.

University of Toronto students voted on the following question:

Do you think that effective September 2006, tuition fees for students (domestic and international) in all programmes, including professional and continuing education programmes, at both the college and university levels should be:

Reduced (85%)

Remain Frozen at the Current Level (13.5%)

Raised  (1.4%)

“University of Toronto students support Bill 12, the private member’s bill introduced by MPP Rosario Marchese to extend the tuition fee freeze until the next provincial election,” said Jen Hassum, Vice-President External of the University of Toronto Students’ Administrative Council. “But clearly, they want even further action from the Ontario government. They want fees reduced.”

The plebiscite is part of a province-wide vote being undertaken at campuses across Ontario. To date, students at York University and the University of Toronto have voted well over 90% in favour of freezing and reducing tuition fees. Within the next two weeks, plebiscites will be taking place at Ryerson University and George Brown College.

“The Ontario government should commit now to using the $1.5 billion in federal funds that will be allocated to post-secondary education to reduce tuition fees,” said Greener. “Using these funds for any other purpose will be seen by students as a betrayal.”

For more information contact:

Jen Hassum,
Vice-President External,
University of Toronto Students’ Administrative Council:
416-978-4911 x 233

Pam Frache,
Ontario Campaigns and Government Relations Coordinator,
Canadian Federation of Students:
416-925-3825

The Canadian Federation of Students, Canada’s national student organisation, unites more than 500,000 students from coast to coast, and over 250,000 in Ontario. The Federation has been campaigning for tuition fee freezes and reductions in provinces across Canada. Tuition fees are now frozen or reduced for the majority of students in Canada.

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STUDENTS DEMAND CLARIFICATION FROM MCGUINTY: ARE TUITION FEE CONSULTATIONS A SHAM?
September 30, 2005

Students across Ontario are suddenly left wondering if the tuition fee consultations that they are currently engaged in with the government are a sham. This morning, during a public address at Carleton University, McGuinty told students that the highly popular tuition fee freeze, in place since September 2004, will be lifted.

"We are going to lift that freeze," said Premier McGuinty. Carole Saab, president of the Carleton University Students' Association asked, "Does this lifting of the freeze mean that there will be a tuition fee increase next year?" McGuinty replied, "Yes."

"McGuinty promised to freeze fees for at least two years and to work with students to come up with an acceptable tuition fee framework to ensure that the disaster of Mike Harris style fee increases would not be repeated," said Jesse Greener, Ontario Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. "Students and their families need to know if the consultation process is just for show."

Consultations about a tuition fee framework to be implemented for September 2006 have been underway since July 20 and have continued throughout the summer and fall, with the most recent meeting occurring on September 14, 2005. "It has been our understanding that tuition fee freezes and reductions were on the table," said Greener. "We have been told that a decision on the continuation of the freeze would not be reached until December 2005."

Tuition fees in Ontario increased at four times the rate of inflation between 1990 and 2004. "If tuition fees had increased by the rate of inflation, they would be less than half the price that they are today," said Greener.

Since classes started at the beginning of this month, students across Ontario have signed thousands of post-cards to Premier McGuinty calling on him to keep fees frozen.

"Consistently, over 80% of Ontarians support freezing and reducing tuition fees," said Greener. "Students and their families want to hear from Mr. McGuinty: will he keep the option of tuition fee reductions on the table?"

The Canadian Federation of Students, Canada's national student organisation, unites more than 500,000 students from coast to coast, and over 250,000 in Ontario. The Federation has been campaigning for tuition fee freezes and reductions in provinces across Canada. Tuition fees are now frozen or reduced for the majority of students in Canada.

For further information contact:

Jesse Greener, Ontario Chairperson, Canadian Federation of Students:
(416) 925-3825 or cell: (416) 707-0349;

Carole Saab, President, Carleton University Student Association:
(613) 520-2600 x1603 or cell: 613 240-2110;

Ken Marciniec, Ontario National Executive Representative:
(416) 925-3825 or cell: (416) 803-6066

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STUDENTS FAX URGENT MESSAGE TO PREMIER: FREEZE TUITION FEES
October 3, 2005

On campuses across Ontario, college and university students launched an emergency FAX-the-Premier campaign today to call on Dalton McGuinty to reconsider his decision to hike tuition fees.

Students expressed shock last week when they learned that the Premier announced his intention to increase tuition fees, in spite of a government-run tuition fee consultation that is still underway. “Mr. McGuinty made a promise to Ontarians that he would freeze tuition fees for at least two years and undertake consultations to develop a framework for tuition fees and measures to promote access,” said Jesse Greener, Ontario Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students. “Now McGuinty seems prepared to push aside students and their parents and follow Mike Harris’ path of market-driven fee increases.”

Today’s campaign launch was developed as a quick response to the Premier’s announcement to convince McGuinty not to renege on his government’s most popular policy. Students will be setting up fax machines and computer terminals in college and university hallways to allow students to send a message directly to Premier Dalton McGuinty and Training, Colleges and University Minister Christopher Bentley. Off-campus students and community members can directly fax the Premier themselves by visiting the website, www.ReduceTuitionFees.ca. (A PDF version for U of T students is also available at the bottom of this item).

The Canadian Federation of Students is already in the midst of a campaign in which students’ unions are holding plebiscite votes across Ontario to demonstrate support for the government’s tuition fee freeze. The results of the first referendum, held last week at York University, were released today and show that 96% of students voted to support reducing tuition fees.

“After a decade of devastating tuition fee increases that limited access to post-secondary education and indebted a generation, polling data has consistently shown that over 80% of Ontarians support tuition fee freezes or reductions,” said Greener. “The results of the York plebiscite should send a clear message to McGuinty that students across the province are desperate for relief from fee increases.”

“By freezing tuition fees in 2004 and announcing post-secondary funding totaling over 6 billion dollars, the Ontario government has created the conditions for Ontario’s first tuition fee reduction,” said Greener. “There is no question that if Premier McGuinty genuinely wants to restore access to Ontario’s colleges and universities, he needs to extend the tuition fee freeze until the end of his mandate in 2007 and use the consultation process to develop a plan for introducing fee reductions.”

Download your copy here: Dalton McGuinty Fax (PDF)

For more information contact:

Jesse Greener, Ontario Chairperson: 416-925-3825 or cell:416-707-0349

Ken Marciniec, Ontario National Executive Representative: 416-925-3825 or cell: 416-803-6066

The Canadian Federation of Students, Canada’s national student organisation, unites more than 500,000 students from coast to coast, and over 250,000 in Ontario. The Federation has been campaigning for tuition fee freezes and reductions in provinces across Canada. Tuition fees are now frozen or reduced for the majority of students in Canada.

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YORK UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES GRADUATE TUITION FEE FREEZE UNTIL 2008
September 27, 2005  

The President and Vice-Chancellor of York University, Lorna R. Marsden, has announced that the University will not increase tuition fees for most of its graduate programs for 2006/07 and 2007/08.

“At York University, we want to give our current and incoming graduate students the certainty of knowing their tuition will not increase for a full two years after the current 2005/06 freeze,” said Marsden. The tuition freeze will apply to all graduate programs at York, except for the following professional programs: MBA, IMBA, EMBA, MPA, part-time LLM, MHRM and MDes.

President Marsden continued, “As Ontario’s second-largest graduate school, we welcome the strong endorsement by the Government of Ontario of the future of graduate programs in today’s global knowledge economy. We are pleased to be an important part of that effort.”

Vice-President Academic Sheila Embleton added, “We are concerned about accessibility to these graduate programs and want to continue to recruit and retain excellent graduate students.”

The Government of Ontario has frozen tuition fees across Ontario for 2004/05 and 2005/06.  The government has not announced its intentions with respect to tuition fees beyond 2005/06 and is currently working, in consultation with students, colleges and universities, to develop a new tuition framework to be in place for September 2006.  Several groups at York have been actively involved in these discussions to date and will continue to participate in the consultation process.

York University has one of the largest graduate programs in Canada and the second-largest in Ontario in terms of graduate enrolment, with over 5,100 graduate students enrolled in 43 masters and doctoral programs across York’s 10 faculties.  Graduate programs span interdisciplinary and traditional programs ranging from education to history, nursing to social work, political science to earth and space science, and environmental studies to urban and regional planning.

For more information, contact:

Nancy J. White
Director, Media Relations
York University
416-736-5603
whiten@yorku.ca

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