The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities has released a new set of guidelines regulating college ancillary fees. The new regulations, drawn up in response to a court ruling on the legality of ancillary fees, place fewer restrictions on colleges.
Ancillary fees cover expenses that are neither funded by government, nor covered in tuition, such as athletic centres and dental plans, and on average amount to $643 per student. The new policy, effective next fall, prohibits colleges from charging ancillary fees for resources necessary to program delivery, as these should be covered by tuition, but allows for fees used to enhance student life. The new guidelines do not specify what is considered a basic program and what is an enhancement, leaving postsecondary institutions with a great deal of flexibility in determining ancillary fees. The guidelines also allow for a maximum annual increase of 20 per cent without approval from students.
The policy comes in the wake of a $200-million class action lawsuit launched against 24 Ontario colleges by students Dan Roffey and Amanda Hassum. The students sued for the return of the extra fees covering computers, libraries, and labs, claiming that since these were academic services, charging extra for them was illegal. The court ruled that the regulation of ancillary fees was the responsibility of the government, not the courts.
According to the Canadian Federation of Students’ Ontario chairperson Shelley Melanson, the new guidelines do little to remedy the problems introduced in the lawsuit. Melanson said that not setting a standard for what constitutes a “basic program” invites disproportionate charges of fees depending on which institution you attend. She said that the cap at a 20 per cent increase per year still allows for prohibitive costs.
However the College Student Alliance, which represents students at 16 of the 24 Ontario colleges, commended the policy for not dictating exactly what is basic versus an enhancement, recognizing that each college is different.
