Under Pressure: The impact of rising tuition fees on Ontario families

Published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, "Under Pressure: The impact of rising tuition fees on Ontario families" is a report that analyzes the impact of rising tuition costs on Ontario families (especially low-income families) in 2011 relative to families in 1990.

According to the report, "Ontario [undergraduate] students have witnessed a 244% real tutition fee increase between 1990 and 2011" (p. 11).  Although these increases negatively impact all students irrespective of their socio-economic backgrounds, the report indicates that students from lower income families are the ones who face the most disparity. Families in the lowest income bracket now need to save the equivalent of 673 days of income (after taxes) to afford the cost of an undergraduate degree in comparison to 270 days of income 21 years ago.  According to report "the tuition burden itself becomes a major barrier to entry for the children of lower income families"  as students comtemplate their academic pursuits (p. 14). 

The report indicates that the burden faced by families with students pursuing an undergraduate degree can be mitigated through the redution of university tuition fees to 1990 levels or the [complete] elimination of university tuition fees.

To read the full report, please visit:
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/under-pressure