Bill 33’s passage in the Ontario legislature on Nov. 19 has left student leaders at Queen’s uncertain about how the new law will reshape ancillary fees and student services on campus.
The Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025, introduced this summer, bundles several reforms across Ontario’s education sector. For universities, one of the changes will involve new provincial authority over how ancillary fees are approved, categorized, and potentially regulated.
On Nov. 14, the AMS released a public statement on the Bill to increase student awareness as the legislation moved quickly through the legislature.
In an interview with The Journal, AMS Commissioner of External Affairs Edlira Ballaj and Vice-President of University Affairs Alyssa Perisa said the provincial government has offered little clarity on how the changes will be implemented, leaving the AMS preparing for multiple possible outcomes.
The statement and accompanying social media efforts were meant to “open up that line of discussion and communication” before the law came into effect, according to Perisa.
She later added that the most pressing concern with the Bill is the uncertainty. “As it stands right now, we’re unsure of what the government plans to do now that the Bill has passed,” Perisa said.
Ballaj added that the AMS is bracing for the potential reintroduction of “essential” and “non-essential” fee categories, similar to the 2019 Student Choice Initiative. She said the model could destabilize funding for clubs and services, especially if the province requires a mandatory opt-in system rather than the current opt-out approach.
When students must actively choose to pay fees rather than automatically being charged, the funding for clubs and services would have unpredictable budgets year to year.
Ballaj said that while the legislation also touches on merit-based admissions, the AMS advocacy has centred on the potential impact on student fees.
One potential change is provincial involvement in Queen’s long-standing referendum process, which governs how fees are approved for the AMS slate each year.
Despite the uncertainty, the AMS is preparing for an active advocacy period. AMS executives will spend next week in Toronto attending the Student Advocacy Conference with MPP’s and will attempt to meet with the ministers.
“We’ll be bringing up Bill 33 and trying to get our foot in the door in terms of next steps,” Ballaj said.
The AMS is also collaborating with the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), a provincial advocacy organization representing undergraduates on post-secondary issues, in their plan to submit a regulatory proposal on behalf of member schools. The AMS is considering submitting its own, separate proposal as well, since they are trying to push for the AMS to be independent.
Until next semester, Ballaj and Perisa emphasize the role students can play in the advocacy process. Ballaj encouraged students to e-mail Kingston and the Islands MPP Ted Hsu about how fee-funded services impact their university experience.
“It’s important for students to understand what [the Bill] is, how they can help, and how we can band together when it comes to protecting their student fees and their clubs,” Perisa said.
Tags
AMS Commissioner of External Affairs, Bill 33, The Supporting Children and Students Act, vice-president of university affairs
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