Lakehead University response to Ontario Government Announcement on Postsecondary Sector Tuition

January 17, 2019 – Thunder Bay and Orillia, ON

Today, the Province announced that Ontario’s universities’ and colleges’ tuition fees will decrease by 10% for the 2019-2020 academic year, and will be frozen for the following year. While this will present challenges for northern universities, we support decisions that increase access to post-secondary education for students.

The delivery of quality education for our students remains Lakehead University’s top priority. This includes protecting the supports and services that our increasingly-diverse student population relies on.

Northern Universities play an important role in Ontario's economy, and Lakehead recognizes the contributions it makes to the social and economic fabric of the regions it serves.

We welcome Minister Fullerton’s commitment to maintain current grant funding levels and to create a fund to support northern universities impacted by the tuition reduction.  

We are committed to working with the Ontario government to find solutions that recognize the unique position and strong contribution of northern universities in ensuring access to post-secondary education and in developing the highly-skilled workforce required to continue to drive economic growth and prosperity in Ontario, today and into the future.

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Lakehead University has approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and 2,000 faculty and staff in 10 faculties at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead is a fully comprehensive university: home to Ontario’s newest Faculty of Law in 44 years, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and faculties of Engineering, Business Administration, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences & Humanities, Science & Environmental Studies, Natural Resources Management, Education, and Graduate Studies. Maclean’s 2019 University Rankings place Lakehead University among Canada's Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities and in 2018 Research Infosource named Lakehead Research University of the Year in its category for the fourth consecutive year. Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.