The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) has submitted a response to the Government of Ontario’s proposed Bill 33, warning it could undermine university autonomy and fail to address urgent financial and enrolment challenges. COU projects over 80,000 new student spaces will be needed by 2030 and says the bill does not provide the funding required to meet this demand. Additionally, COU raised concerns about changes to ancillary fees and admissions policies. In response, the Star reports that ON Minister Nolan Quinn emphasized the bill’s focus on student success, transparency, and research protection, and assured that no regulations will be finalized without consultation. He noted the province has invested over $2B in postsecondary education in the past 14 months.
