‘Sky-high’ Liberal tuition fees forcing more students to go hungry

‘Sky-high’ Liberal tuition fees forcing more students to go hungry

QUEEN’S PARK–NDP Training, Colleges, and Universities critic Peggy Sattler rose in the House today to question why the government is allowing more and more college and university students to rely food banks to make ends meet.

“It’s not easy being a student in Ontario, from studying and working part-time or even full-time jobs, to paying the highest tuition fees in the country. But nothing makes it harder than trying to do all that while going hungry.” Sattler pointed out that postsecondary students are among the fastest-growing demographics of food bank users. “There is not one college or university campus that doesn’t have some kind of food relief program, and many local food banks are setting special hours for post-secondary students.”

A report released yesterday by the Ontario Association of Food Banks blames the rise of food bank usage among Ontario’s post-secondary students on a nearly 40% increase in tuition over the past 7 years.

“The Liberals’ sky-high tuition policies are forcing more and more students to choose between going hungry while they are studying or abandoning higher education altogether,” Sattler said. “Does the Premier think it is acceptable that increasing numbers of students must rely on food banks in order to afford postsecondary education?”

(PRESS RELEASE)