OUSA

Much of the policy debate about the post-secondary education sector in the province of Ontario is framed within the sector’s current structure. Typically, suggestions from stakeholders regarding what provincial or institutional changes should be made to improve the system – particularly with regards to institutional budgets, tuition fees, and financial aid – are understandably crafted with a number of built-in assumptions. Those assumptions include: that the responsibility for the system’s costs will be shared by the students who attend and by the government’s tax system; that post-secondary institutions are autonomous institutions that are financially regulated to some degree by the government; that student fees will be paid during the course of study to the institution providing the education; and that government will provide financial assistance, primarily through interest-bearing loans, for those deemed unable to pay.

The approach of developing practical and pragmatic solutions that largely fit within those assumptions has served the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance well since its inception. However, the organization has also prided itself on being a thought-leader within the sector that works to develop new and innovative ideas on how to improve the education of our students. It was with this spirit that Justin Williams (VP Education of the Federation of Students) and I felt it was important to step back and look at the post-secondary education system in a more global context. The primary objective of the study we launched over two years ago was to assess if our assumptions about how the mechanisms to recover the cost of post-secondary education were working for Canada, and more specifically for Ontario, and if there were other models or elements of cost recovery that should be considered as policy suggestions in the future.

Canada has much to be proud of with respect to its post-secondary education system, but it is without question that the future success of our country will rely in part on the current decisions made about how to evolve and improve the sector. Canada spends over $34 billion annually to fund the post-secondary education system and, as a percentage of gross domestic product, spends amongst the top three countries in the world both publically and privately on the sector. With that significant investment, the country has had the highest tertiary education attainment rate amongst OECD countries for each of the last four decades, with an almost even split between university and college education. The proportion of the population with tertiary education has risen over 4.0% annually since 1998, while those with less than upper secondary education has fallen by an annual average of 3.6%. However, the system is under pressure to continue expanding to meet the demands of a changing economy, while governments from coast-to-coast are under budgetary pressure and institutional costs are rising faster than the revenue to support them. Tuition and debt loads are growing as the cost burden shifts to students, quality metrics are slipping, and statistics suggest that not enough progress has been made to improve access for under-represented groups.

Our study sought first to outline the cost recovery model currently in place for both the university and college system in Canada and Ontario, and some of its implications. The study then conducted a review of the cost recovery model for post-secondary education system in 37 countries, with a focus on democratic countries with market economies or those that are of particular interest due to their expanding education systems. If the purpose of the study was to make sure we were not missing the forest for the trees, so to speak, then the definitive conclusion of the report is that it is a big and complex forest out there. Finishing a project as broad as this one, that has involved five different contributors often in five different cities, has been a challenge, and I am very excited to share our initial findings and implications at our next General Assembly in a few weeks’ time. Through the in-depth examination of global systems, many very interesting patterns and models have emerged, and I hope that the conclusions of this report are only the beginning of a longer discussion at OUSA about how to continue to improve the post-secondary education system in Ontario for our students for years to come.

– Sam Andrey
Federation of Students, University of Waterloo

The OSAP funding model therefore delivers its loans based on the needs assessment that the government has prescribed. OUSA’s concern is that the needs assessment formula has not been updated in many years to reflect the current cost of living for students attending a post-secondary institution, as well as a lack of reasonable expectations of students when it comes to food and miscellaneous expenses such as clothing and sundries.

The current needs assessment formula makes no distinction between different regions in Ontario and its cost of living in those places, meaning the system predicts that the cost of a student at the University of Toronto campus living in downtown Toronto, is the same as the cost of living for a student living in Thunder Bay at Lakehead University.

In regards to food expenditure, the formula allocates only $226 per month, for an average of $7.50 per day, or $2.50 per meal. Not only is that amount inaccurate and an unreasonable expectation of young adults, if a student were actually to live on those amounts, they would almost surely not be receiving proper nutrition and eating a regular balanced diet.

This is just one of the many problems with the current OSAP system. Its failures must be highlighted to the government so they will fix it.

OUSA will take on a campaign to highlight the inequities built into the needs assessment formula, and propose educated solutions towards improving it.

During the month of March, a handful of students from across the province will be taking part in our experiment: how to live on $7.50 a day for food. They will be blogging and vlogging about their experience, struggle and challenges of living on the OSAP needs assessment formula. Visit our website frequently for updates and to follow the progress of our participants.

BACK TO MENU

TORONTO, March 5 – For nearly three weeks, from March 8, 2010 to March 26, 2010, students at four Ontario universities will undertake an experiment: They will attempt to eat a healthy, balanced diet while spending only $7.50 a day on food – the same amount allocated for food by the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

Entitled “Food For Thought”, the experiment will be co-ordinated by the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA).  Participants will blog daily on their experiences at www.ousa.ca/foodforthought.

The OSAP need assessment uses a standard living allowance for every student living away from home. It totals $34.72 per day, of which $7.50 is allocated to food costs and the rest is meant for shelter, public transit, and miscellaneous expenses. Over a year, this living allowance adds up to $12,540 – about $3,000 less than the poverty line for a city of over 100,000 people.

“Students across the Province are looking forward to the results,” said OUSA President Dan Moulton. “Given that OSAP expects students to live below the poverty line, I expect our participants will have a great deal of difficulty eating a healthy, balanced diet on only $7.50 a day, or only $2.50 a meal.”

Taking part are Nicholas Gibson-Lockhart from Wilfrid Laurier University, Andrew Beach from the University of Western Ontario, Rachel Crane from Brock University, and Gabrielle Koerber and Sarah Baker from Queen’s University.

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Alvin Tedjo, OUSA Director of Communications & Public Relations, work: (416) 341-9948, cell:  (647) 669-6885

BACK TO MENU

Basics

Every OSAP loan is paid for partially by the federal government and partially by the provincial government, usually split 60% federal and 40% provincial.

At its most basic, the OSAP formula calculates how much a student needs and then subtracts how much the student can afford to pay and the difference is given to the student in the form of a loan (and sometimes grant), up to a maximum of $11,900 for a normal, two-term year.

Eligibility

To be eligible for OSAP you must:

• be a Canadian citizen
• have lived in Ontario for 12 consecutive months without being a full-time post-secondary student
• be taking a 60% course load (40% with permanent disability)
• pass a credit check
• not be in default on any government loans
• demonstrate satisfactory academic progress

Assessing Costs

In assessing how much it will cost a student to attend school, OSAP takes the following into account:

• tuition, books and supply costs
• living allowance
• cost of transportation home (if applicable)
• cost of child care (if applicable)

Assessing Contribution

In assessing how much a student can afford to contribute to their education, OSAP takes the following into account:

• parental contribution
• personal assets
• summer income
• in-study income

Living Allowance

When calculating a student’s need, OSAP allocates a certain monthly living allowance to cover shelter, food, public transit, and miscellaneous expenses. The amount of the living allowance depends on the student’s situation – students living away from home have a higher living allowance, as do married students and students with dependents.

Monthly Living Allowances for the Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan/Grant
Source: 2009-2010 Student Eligibility and Financial Need Assessment Manual, p. 146

From the chart above, a single student living away from home receives $226/month for food or $7.50 per day.

For a detailed breakdown of the OSAP living allowance, click HERE.

OSAP Stats

• In 2008/09 the number of OSAP recipients reached 226,000 students between universities and colleges.
• In 2008/09, the mean average loan amount per student in Ontario was $7,792.
• The 2008/09 OSAP the default rate was 8.4%, the lowest in Canada.
• 28,300 students received Canada Access grants, and 53,800 students received Ontario Access Grants.
• In cash terms, just over 80,000 students received an Ontario Student Opportunity Grant in 2008/09.
• In 2007-08, the average repayable OSAP debt of a 4-year university student was $21,883. Total student debt is higher, as it takes into account debt from private sources.
• Of university students completing the final year of their program in 2007-08, about 40 per cent have repayable OSAP debt totaling $25,000 or more.

“Dr. Joy Mighty and Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes to deliver keynote address at annual Partners in Higher Education Dinner”

March 1, 2010

OUSA is pleased to announce that Dr. Joy Mighty and Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes will deliver this year’s keynote address at OUSA’s annual Partners in Higher Education Dinner on Wednesday, March 31 at the Sutton Place Hotel.

Dr. Joy Mighty is the President of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning at Queen’s University. She has a wealth of experience and expertise as a teacher, educational developer, researcher and consultant, with a special interest in equity and diversity issues. With over 30 years practical experience, her academic and professional background spans several countries and levels of education.

Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes is Dean of the College of Management and Economics at the University of Guelph. She is a tireless advocate for change within higher education and has helped facilitate many national, provincial and local events focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning. Her work on academic integrity has garnered national and international attention
For many years, Joy and Julia have devoted themselves to improving teaching and learning on university campuses across Canada. Their commitment to education has directly and indirectly benefited countless undergraduate students. The two have recently collaborated on a book entitled Taking Stock: Research on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, which not only examines what we know about teaching and learning, but also provides recommendations on where we must go from here.

OUSA’s annual Partners in Higher Education Dinner brings together stakeholders from across the post-secondary sector to discuss common issues. Attendees include, students, faculty, administrators, researchers, politicians and bureaucrats. For information on attending or sponsoring the dinner, please email communications@ousa.on.ca

-Alexi White
Executive Director
Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance

VIEW NEWSLETTER

As students across the Province return from reading week, all eyes are focused on the provincial budget to be tabled in March. Early indications are that the government will be emphasizing issues of accountability, credit transfer, e-learning and international student enrollment. At the same time, the government seems to be considering announcing one-year stopgap funding for the sector, thus delaying a long-term funding announcement until next year.

Looking ahead, OUSA is gearing up for a Spring General Assembly at the University of Western Ontario. Student leaders from across our institutions will meet to discuss student priorities and debate a new long-term plan for the organization.

Following that, OUSA will host its annual Partners in Higher Education Dinner. I’m pleased to announce that Dr. Joy Mighty, President of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, and Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes, Dean of Business at the University of Guelph, will give the keynote address on issues in teaching and learning, based on a groundbreaking book they have recently co-authored.

Finally, on behalf of everyone at OUSA, I’d like to wish Paul, our outgoing Director of Research and Policy Analysis, all the best in his future endeavours. His commitment and dedication to OUSA will be sadly missed. Good luck, Paul!