As president of the University of Toronto Students’ Union, I am compelled to write to you about an important issue we have been tackling with our colleagues in the Arts & Science Students’ Union and many of you over the years.

At the University of Toronto, the implementation of a flat-fee tuition system has made worse the already serious financial barriers to our education. With flat fees, students in the Faculty of Arts & Science are forced to pay for a full course load no matter how many courses they are taking. If one student takes 3.0 full-time equivalent credits, they will be forced to pay for a full five credits.

During the market crash in 2009, this University of Toronto policy lost the university over $1 billion in investments. The academic community rose up, and students, teaching assistants, workers, and faculty spoke out against the extreme measure. Five years later, the undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts & Science are still waiting for justice. In 2011, after much student pressure, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities of the Ontario government announced a moratorium prohibiting other post-secondary institutions from instituting a similar policy. After years of discussion and protest, I am relieved that the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, Brad Duguid, listened to students and will implement a policy announcement on the reform of the controversial flat-fee program.

We want to make sure that the minister knows what an impact this will have on students and how much we truly need it. As students, we shoulder the burden of working one, two, or even more jobs to support families, our dependents, and ourselves. While enrolled in fewer courses, the additional pressure to take on the financial responsibilities of the full five credits has a serious impact on our finances and our mental health. We need to encourage the minister by telling him stories. Join our campaign and send a message to the government at utsu.ca/flatfees.

 

Munib Sajjad is president of the University of Toronto Students’ Union.