Ontario announces FREE University tuition

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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Incredible!

2016 Ontario budget: Free tuition for low-income students, price increase on alcohol

TORONTO -- University and college will soon be free for low-income students in Ontario, but prices are going up on wine, tobacco, gasoline and heating for most homeowners.

The Liberal government says it's on track to eliminate a $5.7-billion deficit in the next budget largely thanks to managing program spending and fighting the underground economy, but it is hesitant to acknowledge that the partial privatization of Hydro One and a new carbon pricing system are major factors contributing to that goal.

The showcase pledge in the government's 2016-17 budget -- its ninth consecutive in the red -- is to introduce an Ontario Student Grant that would entirely pay for average college or university tuition for students from families with incomes of $50,000 or less.

Under the new program, half of students from families with incomes of $83,000 will qualify for non-repayable grants for tuition and no student will receive less than they can currently receive.

The new grant combines existing programs, and Finance Minister Charles Sousa said he hopes the new one will come at no additional cost to government.

Taxes on cigarettes are rising $3 per carton and wine prices will also rise. The minimum price for a bottle will increase to $7.95 over the next three years.

There will also be a series of increases in the Liquor Control Board of Ontario's markup on wine, starting with a two percentage point hike in June -- about 10 cents a bottle -- followed by another two points in 2017 and 2018, and a one-point hike in 2019.

There will also be annual increases of about 10 cents in the tax on international-blend wines sold in privately owned wine stores, increasing from 16.1 cents to 20.1 cents over four years.

As the government's new cap-and-trade program -- designed to lower Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions -- comes into effect next year, the price of gasoline is expected to rise 4.3 cents a litre and residential natural gas bills will increase $5.

The opposition leaders said the budget makes life less affordable for Ontarians, but Sousa defended increased costs from cap and trade.

"We can all of us have a choice," he said. "We can turn our back and let the low-carbon economy go by, it will cost us even more, or we can embrace it and find innovations in the system to enable us to succeed and compete."

The carbon-pricing scheme is now projected to generate $1.9 billion in revenue next year, up from $1.3 billion estimated a few months ago, based on a price of about $18 per tonne.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politi...-students-price-increase-on-alcohol-1.2792076
 

petros

The Central Scrutinizer
Nov 21, 2008
108,904
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Low Earth Orbit
but it is hesitant to acknowledge that the partial privatization of Hydro One and a new carbon pricing system are major factors contributing to that goal.
I mean really, would you admit to jerking off the dog to feed the cat?

Free tuition for low-income students
How many seats? Will foreign bread and butter full dollar students be turned away?
 

IdRatherBeSkiing

Satelitte Radio Addict
May 28, 2007
14,591
2,335
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Toronto, ON
As the government's new cap-and-trade program -- designed to lower Ontario's greenhouse gas emissions -- http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/politi...-students-price-increase-on-alcohol-1.2792076

Designed to increase government revenues so they can spend on stupid sh-it like always and not look quite so much in the red.

And they didn't acknowledge that their fire sale of Ontario Hydro is not the only reason they are this little in the red?

Total and complete incompetence. It always amazes me the stupidity of the libtard voters who put these crooks into power.

And free tuition just means that there will be less incentive for the kids to actually learn anything. Just go and have a party on taxpayer expense.
 

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
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kelowna bc
Actually post secondary education should be free base on marks
If you maintain a certain grade level its paid if you fail you pay for
the year you wasted.

The other way would be to receive your education and agree to work
for part of the value after graduation for a specific length of time in a
community for a reduced wage

Perhaps not totally free but it would provide an avenue for those who
could never afford it
 

WLDB

Senate Member
Jun 24, 2011
6,182
0
36
Ottawa
Damn. I would have qualified for this if it had been in place when I started university. Oh well. Luck of the draw I guess. I did wind up getting 30% off during my last year though. Better than nothing.

As for increased taxes on certain products - I live in Ottawa. I can just cross the bridge to get cheap wine if I wanted to.
 

MHz

Time Out
Mar 16, 2007
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Red Deer AB
What's the catch?? Only one course or something like. 'How to thrive on minimum wage without a student loan.
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
36,362
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Vancouver Island
Actually post secondary education should be free base on marks
If you maintain a certain grade level its paid if you fail you pay for
the year you wasted.

The other way would be to receive your education and agree to work
for part of the value after graduation for a specific length of time in a
community for a reduced wage

Perhaps not totally free but it would provide an avenue for those who
could never afford it

That should depend on what they want to study. Engineering and medicine yes but not for stupid $hit like french literature or art history.
 

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
36,362
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Vancouver Island
Mr Wynn is getting awful liberal with OPM. Must be expecting a big equalization payment this year from the fiscally responsible provinces.
 

B00Mer

Keep Calm and Carry On
Sep 6, 2008
44,800
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Rent Free in Your Head
www.getafteritmedia.com
...an' da faeries in da garden are gonna pay fer it!

I'm starting to think the Liberals are out to absolutely destroy Canada.. spend, spend with no end in sight.. eventually somebody has to pay the bill.. we will end up like Greece..

Broke and 3rd world country.. at least the Central American countries have warm weather..

I think with need to start an inquisition and go after Liberal leaders today.. off with their heads.
 

mentalfloss

Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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While post-secondary enrolment has increased in Ontario over the past 12 years by 38 per cent, potential students from families earning less than $30,000 have just a 38 per cent likelihood of attending college or university. That same student, if their family earned more than $100,000 each year, has a 63 per cent chance of getting a postsecondary education.

The Liberals also plan to increase the number and volume of grants and non-repayable loans for middle-class students from families earning $83,000 or less, the Ontario median total economic family income. They predict that 50 per cent of students in this income bracket will receive funding that meets or exceeds their tuition needs.


How Ontario's "Free Tuition" Proposal Would Work | politics | Torontoist
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
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Ontario
Are you really that dishonest, that you would forward that as a rebuttal, or are you actually so stupid that you think it refutes what I said?
 

CDNBear

Custom Troll
Sep 24, 2006
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Ontario
Oh oh, Flossy got called out, can't respond with anything intelligent and resorts to his predictable childish behaviour.