Some Ontario Universities Are Cutting Fees But Students Are Still Calling For Lower Prices

School is back in-session come September and it will be slightly cheaper for some. Calls for lower tuitions in the wake of COVID-19 has been going strong for months now. Ontario University fees have now been lowered in some schools, yet others are refusing to change. 

Multiple petitions have been created by students in an attempt to lower fees as classes move online.

Since the start of these demands, some institutions have announced that they would attempt to make it easier for students to afford classes this year. 

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Sheridan College announced on June 11 that it would be cutting all program fees that support on-campus services, such as athletic facilities, which will not be available this fall.

"Recognizing the financial strain that many students and their families are experiencing at this time, Sheridan has reduced deposit fees, introduced flexible tuition payment plans, and reduced the overall cost of enrolment by cutting ancillary and program fees," read a statement. 

Meanwhile, George Brown announced that it would be updating its tuition fees.

The initiative saw the school reduce its minimum deposit amount for Fall 2020 semester tuition fees by 50 percent.

However, other universities and post-secondary institutions have found less wiggle room in terms of tuition.

According to Global News, both York and Ryerson are claiming they cannot lower the price of their payment because students can still access the services online.

Several online petitions have been started by students since COVID-19, demanding tuition be cut down.

The vast majority of the complaints centre around the idea that virtual learning is not on par with the engaging experience of sitting in a classroom.

"We are paying a good amount towards campus maintenance, campus building access, athletics access, recreation... and we can't access any of them," read one petition calling for Ryerson to lower their fees. 

"Since students are taking courses online this summer and some of them have to in order to graduate, there is no doubt that online learning would come with much less quality than regular in-class learning," read a petition for York University.

However, some institutions, like the University of Toronto are planning on welcoming some of their students back in person come September.