College students who decide to drop out because of the faculty strike will be able to get full tuition refunds.
The Ontario government announced on Monday that students who withdraw from college will have two weeks from the restart of classes get a full tuition refund. The news comes one day after back-to-work legislation passed to send the 12,000 college instructors, counselors, and librarians back to their schools. Classes for the half-a-million students at the province's 24 public colleges resume Tuesday, five weeks after faculty walked off the job.
Apprentices will also be able to put in for a full refund of classroom fees if they are unable to complete their in-school training as a result of the strike.
Earlier this month, the Liberal government ordered colleges to setup a dedicated student support fund, using money saved as a result of the strike, to help students struggling financially due to the labour dispute.
"Over the past month, I have heard from students about hardships they have experienced as a result of this strike. It is clear that they have borne the brunt of this situation," said Deputy Premier Deb Matthews, who also serves as the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development. "That’s why we are taking these measures to ensure students have the support they need to complete their studies, and continue working towards an education that will allow them to succeed in a highly-skilled workforce."
The fund will allow full time domestic and international students to receive up to $500 unexpected costs they incurred, such as additional child care fees, rebooked train or bus tickets, or January rent. This money will not count against students OSAP assessments.
Students should be able to begin applying through their college for the additional support later this week.
The fall term has been extended at each of the colleges into the new year. That has also delayed the start of the winter semester.