Out of reach
Dear Editor:
NDP leader Marit Stiles tabled an Opposition Day motion on March 31 forcing a vote in the House to repeal the proposed changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).
Our elected official, Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Joseph Racinsky voted in rejection of that motion. OSAP funding is a staple of support to so many Ontario students. Post secondary education is no longer something that is “nice to have.” Post secondary education is now required if youth have any chance of obtaining a job that will pay them a livable wage.
In Wellington County, the average wage of someone working full time with only a high school diploma is $42,000 per year. That works out to $31,000 per year after taxes, or $2,583 per month.
Given the average cost of rent in Wellington county is between $1,900 and $2,500 per month, it does not take difficult math to understand that this is not a livable wage in our region.
If we add the atrocious cost of groceries, the ever-climbing cost of gas, the cost of a used car, vehicle maintenance and insurance, working for that amount of money simply does not pay the bills.
The average cost of a university education in Ontario is $8,500 per year. That does not include books, gas, food, housing, transportation, or the ancillary fees all institutions charge. In 1990 the cost was $1,680 per year. This is a 415% increase while minimum wage has only increased by 230%. The cost of goods and services has increased 106% since 1990.
For those who say they had no grants when they went to school and they were fine, those people did not have the same cost of living burden, or the same tuition costs. The cost today is not comparable to any previous time.
People often say “go into the trades.” This is a great opportunity however it is not so easy. Obtaining a sponsor to become an apprentice is difficult and not a straight forward process.
I’ve heard a lot of people say if university is so expensive, go to college instead. University programs are what educate our teachers, registered nurses, doctors, engineers and researchers. Doug Ford says choose STEM. How?
Melissa Grenier,
Fergus