Fate of ancillary fees still unknown, says Loyalist College staff member

By Sarah Law

BELLEVILLE – Loyalist College is still waiting to find out how much it will be affected by the Ontario government’s plan to allow post-secondary students to opt out of ancillary fees – charges for services beyond tuition.

Fred Pollitt, the executive director of student life and leadership at Loyalist College, said the college had a technical briefing with the Ministry of Education last week about the proposed changes, which the provincial government called the Student Choice Initiative. But he said they still need to confirm which fees will be optional and which fees will be mandatory and how this will affect student groups and the college’s budget.

Ancillary fees include money that helps fund student government activities, campus recreational programs and the health centre. Full-time students at Loyalist paid $671.50 in ancillary fees this school year.

On Jan. 17, the provincial government released a statement about its new plans for post-secondary students. Premier Doug Ford said he would lower tuition fees by 10 per cent and change the Ontario Student Assistance Plan by cutting the number of grants given to students and by removing the six-month grace period for paying back loans. Students from Loyalist attended a protest at Queen’s Park last Monday against the policy changes to OSAP over fears of how students will pay for their education.