Liberal Tuition Grant
An analysis of the grant
Students are excited to see the government taking concrete steps to address the mounting cost of post-secondary education and to ensure that low-and middle-income students are able to attend. Students have long called for a tuition fee reduction and are pleased that the government has committed $430 million dollars to provide a grant for some students.
However, students hope to work with the Ontario government to improve the policy. We are concerned that the tuition fee grant will exclude students who need it the most, is inadequate at assessing need, will be expensive to administer, will be difficult to implement at an institutional level and will fail to bring more access to the sector in the way that the government intends.
We want to ensure that government policy has the goal of addressing inequality in access to post-secondary education. To this end, we have created this document to begin a process of collaboration to improve the policy together. We hope that such collaboration will result in the implementation of a policy that both students and policy-makers can be pleased with for September 2012.
Campaigns
GET ACTIVE! BE HEARD!
We take our lead from you! As a student's union, the YFS is dependent on its members to develop campaigns, events, and services. Students are the ones responsible for ensuring that the YFS stays relevant and reflects the social, economic and political interest of the vast majority of students, while improving overall student life at York University. The YFS is only as strong as its membership so get involved! Active participation is crucial for the success of our campaigns and events.
As a member you can participate through:
- Developing Campaigns and Events
Members can be directly involved in implementing events or campaigns. Help launch new campaigns, or participate in organizing our existing campaigns, such as: Drop Fees for a Poverty-Free Ontario, Anti- War, This is Student Space, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Students for an Accessible Campus, Anti-Date Rape: No means No, Students for Sustainability, and No Islamaphobia, Anti-Semitism and Racism Campaign.
The YFS also hosts a variety of different events over the course of the year from Pub nights to Dirty Bingo, student contingents from PRIDE to Caribana, and our Annual welcome week. We have something fun for everyone.
2. YFS Committees
There are a number of different committees in the YFS that are responsible for overseeing the development of campaigns, events, policies and club funding.
3. Community Service Groups
The YFS has five Community Service Groups that organize and support progressive social change for students. In addition, these groups provide safe spaces for various marginalized populations in society. The York United Black Student Alliance (YUBSA), Trans gendered, Bisexual, Lesbian, and Gay at York (TBLGAY), the Access Centre, Aboriginal Student Association at York (ASAY), and the International Students at York ( ISAY), all function under an anti oppressive framework and always welcome students who want to get involved.
In Solidarity,
Alastair Woods
336 Student Centre, 4700 Keele St. York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3 tel:416.736.5324 | fax:416.736.5827 | yfs@yfs.ca