Fewer middle-class students in Ontario pursuing Medicine, Law: StatsCan blames financial aid

TORONTO (CUP) -- Enrolment of Ontario students from middle-class families dropped significantly in the province's Medicine and Law programs between 1995 and 2002, a recent Statistics Canada study has found.

During that time period, deregulated tuition fees rose 400 per cent for Medicine, and 300 per cent for Law. The study found enrolment did not drop for students from upper, or lower class families, and attributed middle-class students' decision not to pursue the programs to their ineligibility for adequate financial aid.

Largely in response to the demand for a more comprehensive financial aid package for Ontario's students, the Ministry for Training of Colleges and Universities has introduced new measures to address the needs of middle-class students.

"$1.5 billion of the $6.25 billion dedicated for post-secondary education over the next five years will go into improving financial aid for students," said Tanya Blazina, a ministry spokesperson.

Besides maintaining the two-year tuition freeze in Ontario, now in its final year, the funding boost will allow the province to halve the parental financial contribution requirement—meaning more middle-class students will be eligible for larger amounts of financial aid.

Improvements have also been made to the amount of non-repayable money available through the province's student loans.

"As in past years, the amount a student has to pay back from his/her OSAP loans is capped at $7,000," said Blazina. "But we've increased the amount of money available to students, so they have access to more, but still only have to pay back the same as before."

While Blazina insists the enhancements to the financial aid system will help students meet current financial demands caused by the previous 15 years of tuition increases, she could not comment on what the Ministry plans to introduce once the tuition freeze expires this spring.
"We are currently in discussion with student groups and education institutions about what to do next," she said.