For our Future

With the Ontario election coming soon on February 27, 2025, many student organizations are worried about the problems facing our colleges and universities. The Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario (CFS-ON) started the “For Our Future” campaign to ask politicians for better funding before things get worse.

Since the moment province stopped raising tuition fees for local students to keep education affordable, schools have more money problems. The tuition freeze helped many families, but it also meant that schools had less money to cover their costs. To make up for the lost income, many colleges and universities began to depend on tuition paid by international students, which is much higher than what local students pay.

Then, in early 2024, the federal government made a new rule that limits the number of international student permits. This rule cut Ontario’s share of international students by almost half. For many schools, this was a big blow. They were already losing money on every local student, and without the extra money from international fees, many institutions are now facing serious money troubles.

To try to help, the Ontario government announced almost $1.3 billion in new funding over the next three years. This package includes a fund that has $903 million available to help schools that need it most, especially those in smaller towns. However, many experts believe that this money is not enough. An advisory group suggested that schools should receive about $2.5 billion in funding. They also recommended that schools should be allowed to raise tuition by 5% to help pay for costs, while also increasing help for students. Instead, the government decided to keep the tuition freeze until at least the 2026-27 school year.

I spoke to a few people who work with student organizations and they are very clear: the lack of money is already hurting students. Many colleges are cutting services, offering fewer courses, and making classes bigger. Some schools even worry about having to let go of staff or close down important programs. The “For Our Future” campaign is all about stopping these cuts. CFS-ON is asking for more public support so that schools can keep providing a good education to all students.

As the election nears, the future of Ontario’s colleges and universities has become a big issue. The choices made by head people in the next few months will affect students for many years. For now, student organizations are making sure that their voices are heard and that the need for more funding is clear to everyone.