Page 14 March 4, 2009 = PROVINCIAL/ NATIONAL Report pushes 25% tuition hike By Joe Howell - CUP Ontario Bureau Chief TORONTO (CUP) — “It’s a recession when your neigh- bour loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose yours,” U.S. President Tru- man once quipped. So what’s it called when you can’t af- ford the education you need to get that job in the first place? Massive tuition fee increas- es will likely be necessary over the next few years, cau- tions an educational think tank, or universities will have to start slashing pro- grams and services. A hike of 25 per cent would generate $1 to $2 billion dol- lars, necessary money that won’t be coming from any- where else. A recent report by the non- profit Educational Policy In- stitute shows that while the recent recession has been tightening belts and light- ening wallets everywhere, post-secondary — education has not even begun to feel the pain. Many universities can also expect hiring freezes, slashed library spending, fewer scholarships, deferred maintenance, and_ bigger class sizes in the years to come, according to a just- released study. Titled “On the Brink: How the Recession of 2009 Will Affect Post-Secondary Edu- cation,” it paints a grim pic- ture of the future of PSE in Canada, but it also suggests steps forward. The report suggests univer- sities and colleges will be battered by converging cir- cumstances, including weak- ened endowments, changing demographics, increased en- rolment pressure, increased operating costs, and _ less- ened government spending on PSE. Co-author Ryan Dunn says that the 25 per cent number was part prediction and part prescription, and that he des not think universities should choose to cut services in- stead. “We could get to that point ... people can’t be afraid to touch this politically hot is- sue. Quality must be main- tained, but it costs.” John Milloy, Ontario’s minister of Training, Col- leges and Universities, told the Globe and Mail that it “is unfortunate if this has generated fear,” adding that increases coming after 2010 - would not prevent qualified students from accessing PSE due to financial need. The University of Toronto assured the Globe that im- pending fee increases would be in the “single digits,” but Dunn says the potential 25 per cent increase would hap- pen “over three years.” “When you do the math, you’re down to single dig- its,” said Dunn. Trevor Mayoh, President of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, said while there are “aspects of the re- port we agree with,” the sug- gested fee hike is “a little bit silly.” ~ PANTHER POST vor r Fac en ee ele ‘mm’ me mee eines ge ca “lh i ie ma _——— eee ee need to start focusing on those who can’t access post-secondary education at current [price] levels” ““We’re in a recession; this isn’t the time to raise tuition,” said Mayoh. “We need to start focusing on those who can’t access post-secondary education at current [price] levels.” Mayoh takes issue with the report’s assertion that aver- age family incomes have increased, and can thus ac- commodate tuition increase. He suggests Ontario’s pro- vincial government should actually ramp up PSE fund- ing, to ensure the region is ready for the post-recession “creative economy.” “There is money in the sys- tem that could be re-direct- ed. It’s about being more ef- ficient,” said Mayoh. ‘Dunn seems to agree. He says governments have to make sure they give institu- tions the “resources to han- dle the influx” of students, and that increased PSE par- ticipation rates would “allow us to move from more of a manufacturing economy to whatever comes next.” He predicts that many who lost their job in the recession will head back to college for two-year programs. Zach Churchill, National Director of the Canadian Al- liance of Student Associa- tions, said in a press release that “it is important not to have a knee-jerk reaction to the report.” He warned that decision- makers might “pick only the ideas they want to hear, and ignore the essence of EPI’s_ solutions, which is that a considered, holistic approach is needed to fix the problems our post-secondary education system will likely encounter.”