Government Submissions

Recent changes in post-secondary have left students feeling uncertain about their futures and worried about completing their studies. This submission responds to these changes by highlighting the need for investment in student financial aid, mental health care, sexual violence prevention, and experiential learning opportunities. Increased support in these areas will help ensure that all willing and qualified students are able to pursue a post-secondary education in Ontario.

This submission highlights the need for the next provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy to address the impact poverty has on access to, and success in, post-secondary education. It calls on the provincial government to make investments in student financial aid, work-integrated learning opportunities, and supports and services so all students have the opportunity to thrive.

On behalf of the College Student Alliance, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, Colleges Ontario and the Council of Ontario Universities, a joint pre-budget submission for Budget 2018 concerning the mental health of our students.

This submission highlights the need for further investment in open educational resources, experiential learning, and university funding to maintain and improve the affordability and quality of a university education in the province.

In the report, the four partners - the College Student Alliance, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, Colleges Ontario and the Council of Ontario Universities – say providing effective support for student mental health is one of the most pressing issues on college and university campuses today, and that post-secondary institutions have made addressing it a priority but can’t meet the challenge alone.

Students believe that a modern and robust university sector is critical to Ontario and while the 2016 Budget made great strides towards a more affordable and accessible post-secondary system with the changes to OSAP, we need to ensure the quality of education and experience of students is high. The publication and centralization of post-secondary data will enable smart, evidence based decisions, by policy makers and students alike. Taking further steps to making campuses free from sexual violence by creating a new Sexual Violence Prevention Unit in the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development offers a tangible step towards this goal. To make the university sector work for students (and work for Ontario) in creating the highly skilled workforce of the future, the government should create new partnerships and new incentive structures to promote and broaden experiential learning. Quality services will allow Ontario’s students to get the most out of their educational experience, and will greatly help reduce the non-financial barriers to postsecondary education. 

This document discusses aid disbursement when delays occur in the verification of family income, reviews of students with special circumstances, how OSAP’s allowable costs cap and the Student Access Guarantee (SAG) should behave in light of the OSG, and how the OSG should apply to students with disabilities. Overall, this submission serves to highlight the core principles that students believe should be kept at the forefront when creating solutions to the challenges arising from the implementation of the OSG.

Ensuring smooth and equitable access into higher education and ensuring an enriching and quality experience are integral components of developing a highly skilled workforce. OUSA’s budget submission for 2016 touches on inputs and outputs: primarily, we will address the entry and exit points of the university experience. We discuss ways to ensure access and financial assistance can be improved, and we discuss how students can graduate with the skills, confidence, and understanding necessary to begin their careers or take the next steps along whatever path they choose to pursue.

In early 2015 the government of Ontario announced that it would be conducting a review of the processes by which it funds universities. In order to best capture the needs of those that consume, deliver and fund higher education, the government has commissioned extensive consultation with parents, students, universities, employers, agencies, and sector experts. This submission will serve as a summary of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance’s contributions to those discussions, as well as a statement of our principles in the area of funding priorities that could benefit students.

As universities respond to changing demands and attempt to integrate innovative pedagogies, students are uncertain about what their education will look like and where it will take them. While there are challenges, OUSA suggests that there are also opportunities to improve quality and productivity in Ontario’s university system. It is our hope that the recommendations within this submission can help attain this goal, and preserve the mission of universities to combine teaching and research for the benefit of students.