NEWS RELEASE
October 16, 2026
OUSA Releases Policy Paper Titled “Tuition, Ancillary & Incidental Fees”
TORONTO - The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) is proud to release the Tuition, Ancillary, & Incidental Fees policy paper, approved by OUSA’s Spring 2026 General Assembly. The paper was written and ratified by students and examines the financial barriers students face in post-secondary education. The paper outlines student-driven recommendations to improve the affordability, transparency, and accountability of student fees in Ontario.
Tuition, ancillary, and incidental fees shape students' ability to afford and fully participate in the university experience. While tuition is often seen as the main cost of post-secondary education, students also pay a wide range of additional fees, including student services, housing, meal plans, learning materials, and more.
“Post-secondary education affordability is about more than tuition fees alone,” said Anwoy Barua, Vice President, Student Affairs of the Ontario Tech Student Union (OTSU). “Students also face costs related to housing, meal plans, learning materials, and more. Ontario needs an approach to student costs that prioritizes affordability, transparency, and meaningful student involvement in decision-making.”
This paper examines concerns about the affordability, transparency, and governance of fees in post-secondary education. Students highlight how unpredictable and disproportionate tuition increases create financial barriers to accessing education. The paper also identifies gaps in how student fees are communicated and regulated, including limited transparency around institutional spending, inconsistent late fee and payment processes, and insufficient oversight of institutionally provided services. Students also raise concerns about the growing reliance on student fees to fund capital projects and limited student representation in decision-making
Quote The cost of quality education should not fall disproportionately on students. A stronger commitment to public funding, fair cost-sharing, and responsible fee governance is essential to ensure students can access and complete education.
To address their concerns, students propose recommendations that prioritize affordability, accountability, and greater public investment. These include strengthening tuition regulations and financial aid, adequately disclosing additional program costs, and establishing clearer guidelines for ancillary fees and payment processes. Students also call for greater representation and involvement in decisions about ancillary-fee funded projects and stronger protections against unfair financial penalties. These recommendations work to reduce financial barriers and improve the sustainability of Ontario’s post-secondary education.
This policy paper and its recommendations were developed by students at OUSA’s member schools. It was passed on March 8th , 2026, during OUSA’s Fall General Assembly. To read it, click here: https://www.ousa.ca/tuition_ancillary_incidental_2026
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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:
Tobi Olumurewa
Manager of Communications
Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance