NEWS RELEASE
May 16, 2025
OUSA Responds to the 2025 Ontario Budget
TORONTO - Yesterday, the Ontario government released A Plan to Protect Ontario, the 2025 Ontario Budget. In wake of trade disputes, this budget safeguards the province’s economy, promotes policies that unite provinces, and invests in Ontario-made manufacturing and infrastructure. While these are well-intended measures to support workers and businesses in a precarious time, OUSA is worried that the province is not putting enough focus on students and institutions, and the role they will play to tackle these impending challenges.
“This budget signals a commitment to Ontario’s economic future, but leaves students and post-secondary institutions out of that vision,” said Michelle Wodchis-Johnson, OUSA’s President. “Ontario cannot build a resilient, future-ready economy without investing in the students who will be driving that forward. Our students need strengthened financial aid and stable institutional funding in order to ensure that every willing and qualified student can access and succeed in their post-secondary education.”
Firstly, OUSA appreciates the investments towards skilled-trades and STEM, which are two important areas of study vital to Ontario’s evolving economy, and this opens up subsidized seats for students in post-secondary. As well, the $10 million investment for scholarships for First Nations students entering a resource development program is a welcome step as targeted financial support.
However, we are concerned by the lack of investment in post-secondary education broadly. Ontario boasts a diverse economy, and strengthening it takes a workforce that is well-equipped for the job market. This budget projects that post-secondary spending will decrease about 10% by the 2027-28 fiscal year. At the same time, post-secondary enrollment is expected to grow 45% by 2046. Without appropriate investment in the sector, institutions will not be able to meet demand. This will make access to post-secondary competitive, and ultimately, push away the talent and skilled workforce the government is looking for. OUSA believes all willing and qualified students should have access to higher education. Decreasing investment into post-secondary hurts the futures of young Ontarians and the future of the economy.
OUSA is also discouraged by the lack of investment towards OSAP. Our survey shows that 58% of students are worried about their ability to afford their post-secondary education. Ontario boasts the third highest tuition rate nationally. Yet, there has been a lack of meaningful restructuring to the financial aid system since 2019. In fact, the province spent more on financial assistance than anticipated last year, partly due to higher than expected uptake of student financial aid. This indicates that students are actively looking to the province for financial support, and they deserve a system that works for them. As students struggle to secure employment to offset the cost of post-secondary education, it is now more important than ever that the province invests in OSAP. It is essential that the future workforce of Ontario is not entering the job market at a disadvantage.
Ontario cannot have a strong economy without educated graduates and skilled workers coming together to develop, plan, and build the infrastructure that will help Ontario prosper. This budget seeks to boost businesses, workers, infrastructure, and manufacturing, as a way to drive the economy - post-secondary institutions, and their graduates, are also economic drivers. When the province invests in higher education, they are investing in workers and the tools they need to build up Ontario’s economy.
The time to act is now. OUSA is committed to ensuring that the needs of post-secondary students are not ignored in the conversation about protecting Ontario. Our post-secondary institutions, and the programming and services they provide, are going through devastating cuts. This is negatively impacting the educational experience for so many in the post-secondary community, but ultimately, it hurts students. The provincial government must take immediate action to protect our post-secondary sector so that students can become the skilled workers and problem-solvers that the province hopes to recruit in supporting our economy. This includes boosting operating grants, restructuring OSAP, and enhancing campus-level supports.
To learn more about students’ top priorities and what the provincial government can do to improve the lives of students, read our full pre-budget submission here.
- 30 -
About: 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:
Tiffany Li Wu
Manager of Operations and Communications
Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance
416-341-9948 | [email protected]