Liberals: Historic investment

Beginning in 2005, Ontario began the single largest investment in post-secondary education in more than two generations. The 2005-06 budget began a four-year process of investing some $6.2 billion in post-secondary education and training in Ontario. In the 21st Century, education and training are the great equalizers, and the only reliable keys to prosperity. Ontario is poised to once again be a world leader.

Increased assistance

Student assistance maximum levels increased 27 percent, the first such increase in 15 years. This could mean as much as an extra $75 per week for single dependant and independent students. Book and supply allowances, frozen since the mid-1980s, were updated.

Savings for families

The amount of money that parents are expected to contribute to a child's education has been reduced. This will be a savings of about $2,000 for a family with an annual income of $70,000. Students from middle income families will now be eligible for grants covering between 25 and 50 percent of the cost of their tuition.

Low-income families

Ontario once again makes grants to low-income students. Access Grants can cover as much as half the cost of tuition for low-income families (with incomes less than $36,440). Students in their first year of post-secondary education can also qualify for matching federal grants.

Student Access Guarantee

Every qualifying student in need will have access to the resources to pay for tuition, books and mandatory fees through either government or institutional aid programs.

Graduate education

By 2009-10, Ontario will offer some 14,000 additional gratuate education opportunities.

Under-represented groups

Beginning in 2006-07, Ontario investd $15 million to help post-secondary institutions deliver programs to improve access to post-secondary education for francophones, aboriginals, persons with a disability and those who would be the first in their families to attend college or university. This amount will increase to $55 million in 2009-10.

Tories: Slashed funding

• The Harris-Eves Tories cut $435 million from colleges and universities in their firt two years alone;
• The Harris Eves Toris slashed student assistance by more than half during their mandate;
• By 2003, Ontario students were paying the second-highest tuition in Canada;
• Support funding for universities was cut by $348 million, or 17 percent, between 1995-96 and 2000-01;
• Average university arts and science tuition soared by 71 percent, and average college tuition shot up by 64 percent during the last Conservative regime.

NDP: Cuts and incompetence

• During the terms of the NDP and PC governments from 1990-91 and 2000-01, university funding in Ontario was cut by $635 million;
• In 1987, the NDP told Ontarians they would eliminate tuition fees. In 1990, they said they would only freeze tuition fees. Once in government, tuition and college fees soared by 50 percent!
• The NDP continually dangles a carrot of cheap or free tuition in front of student groups and the public. In government, they broke their pledge, and in 2007, they won't be taken seriously by anyone who looks at their sorry track record.