Why YOU might not be eligible for a 30 per cent rebate
The 30 per cent tuition rebate is now in
full effect for post-secondary students in
Ontario. This comes as a boon to some students,
while others are being left out in the
cold.
The new tuition rebate comes with stipulations that prevent some students from accessing it. Part-time students, as well as students have graduated from high school more than four years ago, are both excluded. In my program alone, I can think of no less than eight students who will be unable to apply based on this criteria, and starting next year, I'll be one of them. The third requirement is that the applicant must be in a program which can be applied to directly out of high school. Lastly, the applicant's parents must have a combined income of under $160,000. This last stipulation, to me, is the most troubling. There are many students whose parents contribute little, if anything, to their education. In the opinion of many in the baby-boomer generation, going to college or university is a decision the individual makes and therefore they should be expected to pay for it.
The 30 per cent rebate promised to students seems to apply only to an average of what tuition is for college and university students. The rebate for this semester is $365 for college students and $800 for university students. My own tuition is $2,900 per semester — $365 is only a 12.6 per cent rebate. The program of study appears to have no bearing on the rebate, despite the fact that costs fluctuate drastically between courses.
This is a continuing trend when it comes to giving students access to funds. The way OSAP funding works is that a student's financial need is estimated based on the student's, and parent's, income. After this an assessment is made as to how much the student is eligible for, any amount over $7,000 is a grant and need not be paid back. If OSAP lends you $7,000, you're on the hook for every penny; if they give you $12,000, you still only owe them $7,000.
I can personally identify with both sides of the issue. When I was in university, OSAP was releasing approximately $12,000 per year to me at a time when my expenses were $425 monthly for rent and my tuition was $5,900. Now that I've come to Fanshawe, however, my monthly rent is roughly $400 per month and my tuition $5,800, yet OSAP assessed me for just over $7,000.
Despite its positive benefits, this rebate misses the mark with a huge demographic of students. The current funding model is already riddled with problems. To qualify for an OSAP loan of $12,000, the student must have little to no income, despite the fact that $12,000 isn't nearly enough to cover eight months of costs. If a student works during the study period, the loan assessment declines to the ends that students are almost better off not working since they're not responsible for repaying any loan amount over $7,000. The burden for a troubled economy should not rest on the shoulders of those who are making an active effort to improve their job skills.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
The new tuition rebate comes with stipulations that prevent some students from accessing it. Part-time students, as well as students have graduated from high school more than four years ago, are both excluded. In my program alone, I can think of no less than eight students who will be unable to apply based on this criteria, and starting next year, I'll be one of them. The third requirement is that the applicant must be in a program which can be applied to directly out of high school. Lastly, the applicant's parents must have a combined income of under $160,000. This last stipulation, to me, is the most troubling. There are many students whose parents contribute little, if anything, to their education. In the opinion of many in the baby-boomer generation, going to college or university is a decision the individual makes and therefore they should be expected to pay for it.
The 30 per cent rebate promised to students seems to apply only to an average of what tuition is for college and university students. The rebate for this semester is $365 for college students and $800 for university students. My own tuition is $2,900 per semester — $365 is only a 12.6 per cent rebate. The program of study appears to have no bearing on the rebate, despite the fact that costs fluctuate drastically between courses.
This is a continuing trend when it comes to giving students access to funds. The way OSAP funding works is that a student's financial need is estimated based on the student's, and parent's, income. After this an assessment is made as to how much the student is eligible for, any amount over $7,000 is a grant and need not be paid back. If OSAP lends you $7,000, you're on the hook for every penny; if they give you $12,000, you still only owe them $7,000.
I can personally identify with both sides of the issue. When I was in university, OSAP was releasing approximately $12,000 per year to me at a time when my expenses were $425 monthly for rent and my tuition was $5,900. Now that I've come to Fanshawe, however, my monthly rent is roughly $400 per month and my tuition $5,800, yet OSAP assessed me for just over $7,000.
Despite its positive benefits, this rebate misses the mark with a huge demographic of students. The current funding model is already riddled with problems. To qualify for an OSAP loan of $12,000, the student must have little to no income, despite the fact that $12,000 isn't nearly enough to cover eight months of costs. If a student works during the study period, the loan assessment declines to the ends that students are almost better off not working since they're not responsible for repaying any loan amount over $7,000. The burden for a troubled economy should not rest on the shoulders of those who are making an active effort to improve their job skills.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
