This fall, Ontario lecture halls are more full than ever, but without the resources to sustain them.
In response to the federal cap on international students placed last January, Ontario provinces are set to enroll a record number of first-year students this fall, without increasing tuition. The 48 per cent drop in international students highlights the province’s reliance on international tuition fees and a severe lack of funding for post-secondary education in Ontario.
The lack of support for post-secondary education will be evident across Ontario this fall, as over 84,000 students are expected to attend university in the province, an increase of 5,100 since last year—stretching the administrative and teaching burden in universities across the province, 13 of which are already running a deficit of over $300 million.
At Queen’s and across the province, the approximately 28,000 students returning to Queen’s campus this fall will experience overcrowding and a decreased presence of international students, significantly changing the structure of classes and perspective of their peers. To maintain the functionality of the university system in Ontario, the provincial government must gradually unfreeze tuition or dramatically increase its funding for post-secondary education.
In its 2023 report, a government-appointed Blue-Ribbon Panel recommended significant increases in the provincial funding towards post-secondary education. While the Doug Ford government has increased their funding, it notably falls short of the recommendations outlined in the report.
Without an uptake in funding and a tuition freeze that has been in place since 2019, students are negatively impacted by increasing class sizes and reduced course offerings. The cuts to international students come as an attempt to fulfill labour market needs, but if Ontario hopes to create a sustainable workforce, it needs to increase the funding available to post-secondary institutions.
Though it’s important to offer an education to students who intend to stay in the country, international students bring a wealth of lived experiences and a diverse outlook to the classroom. As Queen’s pledges a commitment to global engagement, international perspectives are essential for a well-rounded university experience.
Ultimately, the provincial and federal governments must consider the needs of universities, whether that’s through increasing funding, gradually lifting the tuition freeze, or reassessing the role of international students.
The increased presence of first-year students underscores the chronic underfunding of post-secondary education in Ontario. The Doug Ford administration should seriously consider the administrative and teaching burdens placed on schools amid layoffs and budget cuts, and pursue alternative paths aligned with the Blue-Ribbon report.
If Ontario is serious about building a sustainable workforce and maintaining international recognition for higher learning, the province must reevaluate its postsecondary funding model.
Tags
first year, Ontario, Post-secondary
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.