Ontario has extended its freeze on college and university tuition until the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
The freeze aims to provide financial relief and predictability for post-secondary students, the Ontario government said in a news release Wednesday.
The province initially froze tuition hikes for the school year 2020-2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and has extended this since.
Ross Romano, former Minister of Colleges and Universities, said last year that freezing tuition will reduce the financial strain and uncertainty caused by the pandemic.
Last year, the ministry also announced a $106.4 million relief to help publicly assisted colleges and universities address the financial impacts of COVID-19.
“Our government recognizes that students and their families make huge sacrifices to attend college and university, so our government will continue to look for ways to reduce financial barriers for learners,” said current Minister of Colleges and Universities, Jill Dunlop, in the release.
The government said undergraduate arts and science students will pay an average of $660 less in tuition, or a relief of about $450 million annually, than if the freeze and reduction had not been introduced.
