On Campus

Ontario universities worry over high enrolment

Applications rise 46% in a decade

With an expected 50,000 boost to enrolment over the next five years, Ontario universities are worried about how they are going to pay for it all. According to recent numbers out of the Council of Ontario Universities, university applications in the province have jumped 2.7 per cent since last year, and 46 per cent over the past decade.

The figures suggest the government is well on its way to meeting the goal of having 70 per cent of Ontarians earn a post-secondary credential. But universities are warning that without extra funding, education quality could be negatively impacted. In an interview with Canadian University Press, McMaster University president Patrick Deane asked, “It’s good for Ontario that we have a higher level of participation, but is it good for Ontario that what the students are actually getting when they enrol in university is not as good as it might be?”

A similar sentiment was made by COU president, Bonnie Patterson who says an “infusion of capital” is necessary if universities are going to meet the goals set by the government.

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