Ontario college sector outlines funding needs
Advocacy organization Colleges
Ontario is hoping that the government
of Ontario will treat colleges
with the same value as universities
when it comes to the 2013 budget
allocation. With an increasing
number of individuals enrolling in
colleges across the province,
Colleges Ontario is hoping to see
increased funding from the government.
Colleges Ontario's pre-budget submission reveals a significant gap between the funding pressures facing the colleges and the anticipated provincial funding. Colleges Ontario estimates the province's college system faces a net cost pressure of $57 million.
Rob Savage, communications director for Colleges Ontario, said that an increase has been placed on the value of a college education. "We're seeing a significant increase, more than 40 per cent over the past five years in terms of the number of university grads who are applying to college." He added that this past year was the highest ever first-year enrollment and overall enrollment ever in the college sector. According to the government's 2012 Progress Report on Education, since 2002/03 enrollment in Ontario colleges has increased 18.5 per cent.
Vice-President of Administration at Fanshawe Bernice Hull said there was much discussion on career-focused education. "We've really been talking about making sure that people are properly educated and trained or they have access to the correct learning to help them find jobs in the new economy." She added that colleges place a focus on education for careers and students finding jobs.
Colleges Ontario is hoping that the provincial government invests equally in colleges and universities so they can achieve their goals.
Savage said he is concerned with the current tuition fee framework, as the government currently applies uniform tuition-fee increases across the entire post-secondary sector. According to the pre-budget submission, "because universities have higher tuitions than colleges, a fixed percentage increase represents a greater dollar-value increase for universities over colleges, creating a wider gap between the systems."
Savage is hoping to close this gap. "Our argument is that tuition policies for the colleges should be specific to colleges, looking at tuition levels, the lengths of programs, and the cost pressures facing students."
Hull had similar concerns, stressing the fact that if there's a general tuition increase, universities would generate considerably more money than colleges. "If we're really going to be an agency and an institution of choice for people who need to be trained and re-trained to get into the workplace, then they should be realigning that to make some greater investments in colleges."
Another concern introduced in the pre-budget is the lack of funding for operating grants. "Over the years, the value of the funding unit which is attached to one full-time student in the college system has continued to erode," said Hull. The operating grants from colleges increased less than one per cent between 2007/08 and 2012/13. Bursaries are critical for many students trying to offset the increasing costs of a college education.
Colleges Ontario also focused on increasing funds to assist with the repairs and development of college buildings. They are recommending that the government provide $61 million for infrastructure. Hull said that the colleges don't feel they have received as many resources nor as much funding for infrastructure as universities. The costs would "look after deferred maintenance. A lot of colleges are 40, 45 years old now - we have some old buildings that need roofs, new carpets," said Hull.
Savage agreed that it's a rising concern. "The government has been putting some money forward for infrastructure renewal, but it's not really where it needs to be, and in fact it's not even addressing the most immediate cost pressures."
With the election of a new premier for Ontario, the colleges have been waiting patiently for the budget to be addressed. A new premier means a new finance minister as well. "The current finance minister already announced that he's resigning, so certainly it will mean we don't know what the premier and finance minister will say the priorities are," said Savage.
Hull is hoping that the budget discussions will be at the top of the government's radar. "The longer that takes, the less information we have and we're already into the fiscal year and don't know what our grants are going to be."
In the meantime, Fanshawe will stay on the safe side when making budget predictions. "We try to plan and be realistic and on the conservative side when we're projecting revenues because we just don't know," Hull said.
In the past few years, colleges have received budget information in early spring, but Hull predicted that details won't be released until "late spring, early summer at best."
When contacted by Interrobang for a comment, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities responded, "Ministry staff is currently reviewing College Ontario's pre-budget submission and is not in a position to provide a comment at this time."
Colleges Ontario's pre-budget submission reveals a significant gap between the funding pressures facing the colleges and the anticipated provincial funding. Colleges Ontario estimates the province's college system faces a net cost pressure of $57 million.
Rob Savage, communications director for Colleges Ontario, said that an increase has been placed on the value of a college education. "We're seeing a significant increase, more than 40 per cent over the past five years in terms of the number of university grads who are applying to college." He added that this past year was the highest ever first-year enrollment and overall enrollment ever in the college sector. According to the government's 2012 Progress Report on Education, since 2002/03 enrollment in Ontario colleges has increased 18.5 per cent.
Vice-President of Administration at Fanshawe Bernice Hull said there was much discussion on career-focused education. "We've really been talking about making sure that people are properly educated and trained or they have access to the correct learning to help them find jobs in the new economy." She added that colleges place a focus on education for careers and students finding jobs.
Colleges Ontario is hoping that the provincial government invests equally in colleges and universities so they can achieve their goals.
Savage said he is concerned with the current tuition fee framework, as the government currently applies uniform tuition-fee increases across the entire post-secondary sector. According to the pre-budget submission, "because universities have higher tuitions than colleges, a fixed percentage increase represents a greater dollar-value increase for universities over colleges, creating a wider gap between the systems."
Savage is hoping to close this gap. "Our argument is that tuition policies for the colleges should be specific to colleges, looking at tuition levels, the lengths of programs, and the cost pressures facing students."
Hull had similar concerns, stressing the fact that if there's a general tuition increase, universities would generate considerably more money than colleges. "If we're really going to be an agency and an institution of choice for people who need to be trained and re-trained to get into the workplace, then they should be realigning that to make some greater investments in colleges."
Another concern introduced in the pre-budget is the lack of funding for operating grants. "Over the years, the value of the funding unit which is attached to one full-time student in the college system has continued to erode," said Hull. The operating grants from colleges increased less than one per cent between 2007/08 and 2012/13. Bursaries are critical for many students trying to offset the increasing costs of a college education.
Colleges Ontario also focused on increasing funds to assist with the repairs and development of college buildings. They are recommending that the government provide $61 million for infrastructure. Hull said that the colleges don't feel they have received as many resources nor as much funding for infrastructure as universities. The costs would "look after deferred maintenance. A lot of colleges are 40, 45 years old now - we have some old buildings that need roofs, new carpets," said Hull.
Savage agreed that it's a rising concern. "The government has been putting some money forward for infrastructure renewal, but it's not really where it needs to be, and in fact it's not even addressing the most immediate cost pressures."
With the election of a new premier for Ontario, the colleges have been waiting patiently for the budget to be addressed. A new premier means a new finance minister as well. "The current finance minister already announced that he's resigning, so certainly it will mean we don't know what the premier and finance minister will say the priorities are," said Savage.
Hull is hoping that the budget discussions will be at the top of the government's radar. "The longer that takes, the less information we have and we're already into the fiscal year and don't know what our grants are going to be."
In the meantime, Fanshawe will stay on the safe side when making budget predictions. "We try to plan and be realistic and on the conservative side when we're projecting revenues because we just don't know," Hull said.
In the past few years, colleges have received budget information in early spring, but Hull predicted that details won't be released until "late spring, early summer at best."
When contacted by Interrobang for a comment, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities responded, "Ministry staff is currently reviewing College Ontario's pre-budget submission and is not in a position to provide a comment at this time."
