University of Windsor students rally against rising tuition fees
Education is a good investment for taxpayers, says university staff member
Students at the University of Windsor rallied against rising tuition fees as part of a province-wide protest Thursday.
Admira Konjic, vice president of student advocacy at the school said students support a recent overhaul of OSAP, but that the student assistance program isn't enough to cover the full cost of an education.
"It's not enough and honestly it doesn't cover everybody," she explained, adding students are also calling for free tuition and many still struggle with housing costs and food security.
The university's associate vice president of student experience, Ryan Flannagan, said the school's senate passed an academic amnesty for the day so students could attend the protest without being punished for missing class.
He explained the changes to OSAP mark a massive overhaul of the program meaning "more students are getting money and more students are getting more money."
Flannagan added that, in the long run, education is a good investment for taxpayers.
"When people get an education they go to university or college, they pay that back in tens or hundreds of times over, in terms of getting a career and contributing their taxes," he said. "This is excellent value for money in terms of what the Ontario tax payer is getting by investing into students when they're young."