|
|
|
|
| TODAY'S NEWS | SEARCH THE NEWSROOM | NEWS BY MINISTRY |
New Tuition Policy, Focus On Links Between Education And Employment Mean
More Opportunities For Success
TORONTO, Feb. 1 /CNW/ - The McGuinty government is changing its college
tuition policy for students with disabilities while helping ensure they can
succeed at college or university and beyond, Chris Bentley, Minister of
Training, Colleges and Universities, announced today at Humber College.
"We're taking steps to strengthen linkages between postsecondary
education and employment so that students with disabilities can pursue
meaningful careers," said Bentley. "We're also changing the college tuition
policy for students with disabilities to reflect the longer period of study
some may need to obtain skills and training."
The McGuinty government is providing a total of more than $40.7 million
in 2006-07 to help students with disabilities succeed in postsecondary
studies, an increase of 22 per cent since 2003-04. This includes a $4 million
investment in 2006-07 as part of the government's Access to Opportunities
strategy to help colleges and universities provide new supports and services
to students with disabilities.
The McGuinty government is also revising the college tuition fee policy
to cap tuition fees for students with permanent disabilities who, due to their
disability, may take longer to complete their program. Under the revised
policy, college students with disabilities will pay tuition fees equivalent to
students completing the program in the regular period of time and will
thereafter pay $20 per course.
In 2006-07, Humber College will receive nearly $1 million to support 849
registered students with disabilities. In addition, Humber will benefit from
an additional $900,000 in Access funding that is allocated for interpreter
services for all five Greater Toronto Area colleges.
"The Colleges of Ontario have become increasingly accessible to students
with disabilities, as they should," said Dr. Robert A. (Squee) Gordon,
President of Humber College. "The funds received from the Ontario government
have been instrumental in significantly improving support for thousands of
students aspiring to take their places as contributing citizens of this
province."
"Today's announcement is great news for many students attending the
Lakeshore Campus of Humber College in my riding" said Laurel Broten, MPP for
Etobicoke-Lakeshore. "I'm proud to be part of a government that is making
significant investments in making higher education more accessible."
The McGuinty government's new $4 million investment will be used to
support a range of initiatives, including:
<<
- Developing more tailored career and employment counselling for
students and graduates with disabilities, to help them find
meaningful employment and facilitate their entry into the job market;
- Carrying out learning assessments to determine the nature of a
student's learning disability;
- Developing transition plans to help students as they move from high
school to college or university;
- Helping visually impaired students receive their course materials,
textbooks and required readings quickly;
- Helping colleges and universities provide interpreter and other
services to deaf, deafened and hard of hearing students.
>>
Providing more access for students with disabilities is the latest way
the McGuinty government is working to provide more opportunities for Ontario's
students. Other initiatives include:
<<
- Increasing full-time enrolment at colleges and universities by about
86,000 students since 2002-03, bringing participation in
postsecondary education to historic levels;
- Doubling investment in student aid by 2009-10 to help more families
with the cost of higher education. Enhancements to student aid will
benefit 145,000 students this year;
- Investing $55 million by 2009-10 in the Access to Opportunities
strategy, to help postsecondary institutions deliver programs that
improve access for persons with disabilities, francophones,
Aboriginal peoples, and those who would be the first in their
families to attend college or university.
>>
"We are on the side of hard working families who want their children to
find opportunity through access to higher education," added Bentley. "That's
why our government is committed to ensuring that all Ontarians, including
students with disabilities, have the opportunity to reach their full
potential."
<<
Disponible en français
www.edu.gov.on.ca
www.resultsontario.gov.on.ca
Backgrounder
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY - FUNDING FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
>>
As part of the Ontario government's Access to Opportunities strategy,
$4 million is being provided to colleges and universities in 2006-07 to
provide supports and services to students with disabilities. With the addition
of the Access to Opportunities funding, the Ontario government will provide a
total of over $40.7 million in 2006-07 to support the over 30,000
postsecondary students with disabilities.
The $4 million in Access to Opportunities funding will be used to support
the following initiatives:
Increased support for the Accessibility Fund for Students with
Disabilities - $1.2 million
All Ontario colleges and universities will receive a share of this
funding to support the wide range of services provided through offices for
students with disabilities. These services include providing adaptive computer
and software learning technology; arranging note-taking for visually impaired
students and interpreter services for hearing impaired students; and ensuring
that the institution is physically accessible for students with reduced
mobility.
Increased support for the Interpreter Fund - $1.85 million
Most Ontario colleges and universities will receive a share of this
funding to support crucial services for students who are deaf, deafened and
hard-of-hearing. These services include providing classroom interpreters,
real-time captioning and computerized note taking.
Innovative Project Funding - $500,000
Some postsecondary institutions have developed projects to:
<<
- assist students with disabilities in their transition to high school
and support them to pursue a postsecondary education
- provide outreach and support for students with learning disabilities
from economically 'at-risk' communities
- encourage connections between first-year students with disabilities
and their senior counterparts to improve student success.
>>
Enhanced Access to Print Alternate Learning Materials - $350,000
These funds will be used to expand access to and reduce wait times for
print alternate materials.
Enhanced Access to Career / Employment Counselling - $100,000
These funds will be used in part to develop a series of regional
workshops that bring together students with disabilities, disability and
employment counsellors at postsecondary institutions, community
agencies/organizations and local Chambers of Commerce. We will develop more
tailored career and employment counselling for students and graduates with
disabilities to help them find meaningful employment and ease their entry into
the job market.
In 2005, the government also established a Postsecondary Advisory
Committee on Disability Issues, which provides ongoing advice to the Minister
of Training, Colleges and Universities on issues affecting postsecondary
students with disabilities. Last year, the McGuinty government passed the
landmark Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. The act
requires government to work with the disability community and the private and
public sectors to develop standards to be achieved in stages of five years or
less, leading to an accessible Ontario in 20 years.
Contact:
Tanya Blazina
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
416-325-2746
<<
Disponible en français
www.edu.gov.on.ca
>>
-30-
For further information: Sheamus Murphy, Minister's Office, (416) 325-7215; Tanya Blazina, Communications Branch, (416) 325-2746; Public Inquiries: (416) 325-2929 or 1-800-387-5514, TTY: 1-800-263-2892
Other news releases disseminated by this ministry
