PRESS RELEASE
November 20, 2025
OUSA Responds to the Passing of Bill 33, Supporting Children and Students Act
TORONTO, ON – Today, the Supporting Children and Students Act passed in the Ontario Legislature, moving forward with substantial changes to ancillary fee processes and admissions criteria at post-secondary institutions. While the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is disappointed with this outcome, we will continue to engage with the provincial government to ensure ensuing regulations do not diminish the availability and quality of student services.
“We agree with the government that transparency for students is of paramount importance, however we have concerns about the potential impacts of this Bill,” said Sayak Sneddon-Ghosal, OUSA’s President. “Ancillary fees are democratically approved by students, for students. Critical services, such as food banks, wellness centres, and safe walk home programs ensure that students are holistically supported throughout their undergraduate experience. We also hope that any regulation on admissions criteria will not unintentionally harm marginalized students, who have historically faced barriers to accessing post-secondary education.”
Ancillary fees, levied by both institutions and student associations, are the backbone of a student’s on-campus experience. These fees fund various programs that contribute to students’ wellbeing and success such as mental health, athletics and recreation, campus news and media, peer support, transit passes, and safety programs. Pre-existing protocols, such as bilateral agreements and student-run referenda, contribute to decision-making grounded in students’ needs and voices. With the potential for more fees to become optional, students will lose access to high-quality resources that enrich the post-secondary experience. This minimizes their ability to graduate as well-rounded, contributing leaders of the workforce.
As well, admissions criteria are already intentionally determined by post-secondary institutions. This allows institutions to distinguish themselves in recruitment efforts for both similar and unique programs. Increasing the focus of merit on admissions decisions could inherently disadvantage some student populations and/or carry an implicit bias, due to systemic barriers that prevent access to merit-building opportunities. How the province defines merit will be a critical component to avoiding inadvertent consequences of this Bill, and without such, could exacerbate human rights implications.
Ultimately, improving transparency for students and their families is the foundation of changes to post-secondary education in Bill 33. Over the past few months, OUSA has been in conversation with the Ministry to express our concerns and hear their perspective, and we appreciate their time thus far. We recognize that this sector can be made more transparent, but caution the government’s current approach to doing so. We will continue to monitor the province’s activities pertaining to Bill 33, including commitments to consult with stakeholders like OUSA. This system must be designed to prioritize student access and success, and we emphasize that the regulations from this Bill should not undermine that.
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OUSA represents the interests of 160,000 professional and undergraduate, full-time and part-time university students at nine student associations across Ontario. Our vision is for an accessible, affordable, accountable, high-quality, and equitable post-secondary education in Ontario.
Contact:
Tobi Olumurewa
Manager of Communications
Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance