This Thursday March 13th the USC, WND, UWO PIRG & SOGS will be hosting a panel discussion on the Future of University Tuition Fees.  The event is themed: "The Great Tuition Debate: Should Tuition Fees be Abolished?" and will take place in rm. 315 of the UCC (USC Council Chambers – third floor) from 3:30-5:00 pm.  This is a great opportunity for students to come out, learn about the issues & get involved in the fight for quality accessible education in Ontario!
 

The event will feature five panelists and an opportunity for audience participation in the debate.We have five panelists from a variety of organizations including: - David Simmonds: President of OUSA & VPUA of the USC- Abudi Awaysheh: SOGS CFS Liaison- Martin England: UWO Admin. Senior Policy Analyst- Representative from the UWO Faculty Association

- Representative from the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities. 

If you would like to find out more information please visit us in the UCC Atrium, tues-thurs 10:30-2:30pm or online at www.westernnewdemocrats.ca

     Background Information:

      Student groups across Canada have long contended that financial barriers are the biggest barrier to PSE accessibility. Tuition fees constitute the single largest monetary expense that post secondary students face. Regardless of this fact the provincial Liberal government has continued to implement its policy of tuition hikes to finance PSE in Ontario. With the current Liberal “Reaching Higher” plan set to expire in two years it is time to start thinking about what should happen next.

    The Ontario Universities Students Alliance (OUSA) has begun looking at the possibility of abolishing tuition fees for undergraduate studies in Ontario and advocating for the government to implement a “K to 16” model of funding to prepare Ontario for the future Knowledge Economy. The Canadian Federation of Students has long been advocating for a freeze and reduction in tuition fees.