Students to Colleges: “Obay” the Law
Ontario’s Colleges Must Stop Charging Illegal Ancillary Fees Now
TORONTO--
Today, in reaction to the announcement that Colleges Ontario is responsible for the Obay viral advertising campaign, students are calling on Ontario’s public colleges to “obay” the law.
All 24 public colleges in the province have continued to charge ancillary fees that are prohibited by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, even in the wake of a class action lawsuit that was launched to stop the illegal fees. In June 2007, two former students, acting as representative plaintiffs, filed the lawsuit against Ontario’s colleges to end the collection of tuition-related ancillary fees and secure $200 million in compensation for current and former students.
“It’s ironic that Colleges Ontario has chosen to market itself this way,” said Jen Hassum, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario. “If the colleges want to talk about obeying anything, students ask them to explain why they refuse to obey the law.”
Ancillary fees are charged in addition to tuition fees. Legitimate ancillary fees are for certain purposes such as student centres, athletics facilities, extended health and dental insurance, or other services that are supplementary to the basic operations of a college or university. However all of the public colleges in Ontario are charging prohibited, tuition-related ancillary fees for information technology, academic buildings or student support—items that are funded by tuition fees and government capital or operating grants.
Internal government documents acquired through requests for access to information show that the college presidents have been reminded many times by the Ministry not to charge these prohibited ancillary fees.
“Even Premier McGuinty, as an opposition critic, correctly called prohibited ancillary fees nothing more than back-door tuition fee increases,” said Jen Hassum. “The direct effect of unaffordable tuition and ancillary fees is that they discourage many from pursuing post-secondary education at all.”
Ontario’s Colleges Must Stop Charging Illegal Ancillary Fees Now
TORONTO--
Today, in reaction to the announcement that Colleges Ontario is responsible for the Obay viral advertising campaign, students are calling on Ontario’s public colleges to “obay” the law.
All 24 public colleges in the province have continued to charge ancillary fees that are prohibited by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, even in the wake of a class action lawsuit that was launched to stop the illegal fees. In June 2007, two former students, acting as representative plaintiffs, filed the lawsuit against Ontario’s colleges to end the collection of tuition-related ancillary fees and secure $200 million in compensation for current and former students.
“It’s ironic that Colleges Ontario has chosen to market itself this way,” said Jen Hassum, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario. “If the colleges want to talk about obeying anything, students ask them to explain why they refuse to obey the law.”
Ancillary fees are charged in addition to tuition fees. Legitimate ancillary fees are for certain purposes such as student centres, athletics facilities, extended health and dental insurance, or other services that are supplementary to the basic operations of a college or university. However all of the public colleges in Ontario are charging prohibited, tuition-related ancillary fees for information technology, academic buildings or student support—items that are funded by tuition fees and government capital or operating grants.
Internal government documents acquired through requests for access to information show that the college presidents have been reminded many times by the Ministry not to charge these prohibited ancillary fees.
“Even Premier McGuinty, as an opposition critic, correctly called prohibited ancillary fees nothing more than back-door tuition fee increases,” said Jen Hassum. “The direct effect of unaffordable tuition and ancillary fees is that they discourage many from pursuing post-secondary education at all.”
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