On 29 January, 2019, together with over 75 post-secondary institutions across Canada representing over 1 million students, the Alma Mater Society of UBC (AMS of UBC) signed a letter voicing our collective disappointment with the provincial government’s January 17 announcement. The announced changes regarding OSAP, tuition and ancillary fees (non-tuition fees) raise red flags for our students and their families. We firmly believe it lacked proper consultation with students and was a step backwards.
Each year, hundreds of students are elected across Ontario on promises to keep our institutions accountable, to ensure the health and safety of our students, and fill crucial gaps that our institutions do not provide — such as transit passes, health and dental plans, peer-to-peer support, on-campus press, support services like food banks and more. The Student Choice Initiative puts all of this at risk and threatens the post-secondary student experience.
This is not just a provincial concern. This could set a national precedent that has a measurable impact on the student experience and campus culture across the country. Students will be less safe, more vulnerable to failure and less able to gain the skills and work-related experience they’ll need to find jobs after graduation.
For more details, please find the letter linked here
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