Extending the Freeze on College and University Tuition
The Ontario government is extending the current tuition freeze for colleges and universities by an additional year, through 2022-2023, providing financial relief and predictability for students and families seeking access to affordable postsecondary education.
“Our government recognizes that students and their families make huge sacrifices to attend college and university, so our government will continue to look for ways to reduce financial barriers for learners,” said Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities. “By freezing tuition for another year, we are saying yes to ensuring that students have access to affordable, high-quality postsecondary education, and reducing the financial strain on families who have already faced so many challenges throughout the pandemic.”
The one-year extended tuition freeze for Ontario residents builds on Ontario’s historic 10 per cent reduction in tuition for the 2019-20 academic year, and the subsequent two-year freeze from 2020-22. These reductions represent the first of their kind in Ontario’s history. The government’s action to reduce and freeze tuition has provided students with tuition relief of about $450 million annually when compared to tuition costs in 2018-19.
“Increasing the affordability of college and university is part of Ontario’s plan to help people get the training they need to get good-paying jobs,” said Minister Dunlop. “By extending the tuition freeze, we will ensure that students can get the skills they need to succeed in a highly-competitive global economy.”
Quick Facts
- Prior to the 2019-20 tuition reduction, Ontario university tuition rates were the highest in any Canadian province. Ontario has now dropped to the fourth highest in Canada for undergraduate students and the second highest for graduate students.
- Students enrolled in a university undergraduate arts and science degree will pay an average of $660 less in tuition than if the tuition reduction and freeze policy had not been put in place.
- To support students and the postsecondary education sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the past year, the Ontario government:
- provided $106.4 million for publicly assisted colleges and universities to help address the financial impacts of COVID-19 in 2020-21
- invested $28.45 million into mental health supports and services for postsecondary students at publicly-assisted colleges, universities and Indigenous Institutes, and
- announced an investment of $583 million over three years to help colleges and universities provide a modern and safe learning environment for students both virtually and on campuses.