Ontario Government Is Offering To Pay University Tuition For Low Income Students

The Ontario government has announced a plan to pay college and university tuition for students from low income families.

As part of its budget rollout Thursday, the government said it was revamping its student aid system to create the Ontario Student Grant program.

The changes mean students who come from households making less than $50,000 a year will receive free tuition via grants to be handed out at the beginning of the school year.

More than 50 percent of students from families making $83,000 or less per year will be eligible for grants that exceed their tuition. No student will receive less than they currently receive under the Ontario Tuition grant.

Undergraduate students in Ontario pay the highest tuition fees in the country, about $7,500 annually.

According to the Globe and Mail, higher income families will be able to access more in loans, meaning parents won't have to fund as much of their kids' educations.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa said Thursday the old system was "complex and convoluted" but the new one won't increase the cost to the taxpayer, with a budget of about $1.3 billion.

The measures are an attempt to boost post-secondary attendance amongst low-income students, Aboriginal students, and other marginalized communities.

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