If elected Oct. 6, Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty and the Ontario Liberal Party plan to give out grants that will reduce university and college tuition by 30 per cent for students that are from and are currently studying in Ontario and who are from middle to low income families, according to The Globe and Mail.
These grants will begin Jan. 1, 2012 and university undergraduate students can expect to receive up to $1,600 per year, while college students would receive up to $752 per year according to The Globe and Mail.
The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario estimates that 370,000 undergraduate students currently studying in Ontario would be eligible for this grant, according to the Guelph Mercury.
Yasir Naqvi, a Liberal MPP for Ottawa-Centre, said that the cost over four years would equal approximately $400 million.
“I am confident that it is affordable,” Naqvi said. “We need to ensure that jobs are created and that our students are well educated and highly skilled when they come into the workforce.”
Out-of-province students will not be able to benefit from these grants, Naqvi said.
Only residents of Ontario would be eligible since they’re the ones paying the majority of taxes in the province, Naqvi added.
Nafis Sadat, an international student at Carleton, said she feels as though it’s unfair that the grants will not help out-of-province students.
“As an international student, I would think that, if the party can afford to make budgetary changes of that sort to help the resident students of Ontario, then I believe that they can also make space for international students as well,” Sadat said.
“They do not necessarily have to give away the grants to every single student, but they can provide extra financial aid based on merit and academic success. That way, Canada can invest in, perhaps, a very important asset for the future.”
Harrison Boyd, a Carleton journalism student, said he feels the grants are a step in the right direction and could really help students.
“Our age bracket is constantly forgotten when it comes to election time. It’s good to see someone addressing the need students have,” Boyd said. “Considering this is one of the few proposals I’ve seen that is in support of students, I’m all for it.”
