“Making the pitch” November 24, 2015

The Opportunity

• Everybody here has the opportunity to explain to an MPP, for 30 minutes, what issues are important issues for college students, and what should be done about it

• You need to maximize this opportunity by communicating your case clearly and concisely

Hard on the training ground, easy on the battlefield.

Strengthening accessibility for vulnerable students

Issue: The OTG does not ensure that education is accessible and affordable for many individuals facing obstacles to accessing PSE.

Specifically: Aboriginal students, mature students with dependents, and first generation learners are disadvantaged in relation to OTG criteria.

Goal of OTG: Ensure that postsecondary education is accessible and affordable for Ontario’s undergraduate

students by helping eligible students pay for their tuition.

24 + students in Ontario’s colleges

Eligibility criteria in question:

Individuals could be eligible for the OTG if they’ve been out of high school for: less than 4 years (or less than 6 years if you have a permanent disability); or, more than 4 years but less than 5 years and they’re in the 4th or 5th year of an eligible co-op program

Aboriginal learners

2011 2012 2013 2014 20150.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

45.0

40.338.5

39.538.4 39.1

% of Aboriginal ancestry applicants that are 24 +Linear (% of Aboriginal ancestry applicants that are 24 +)

Mature students with dependents

0 1 to 5 hours 6 to 10 hours 11 to 15 hours 16 to 20 hours 21 to 25 hours More than 25 hours

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

% of students under 24% of students 24 +

First Generation Learners

• 59% of 24 + students had a parent of guardian that has attended either a university or college

• 71.8% for students under 24

Recommendation: Eliminate age based eligibility criteria from the OTG to ensure that grants target students in need.

Targeting tax credits to strengthen accessibility

Issue: OEPTC tax credits for students living in college residence are redistributed to the college institution

Goal of tax exemption: This credit helps low- to moderate-income individuals with property taxes and the sales tax on energy. The credit is part of the Ontario

Trillium Benefit.

Many residence students are low- to moderate income!

OEPTC tax credits

• Up to $993 per person (including renters) if property tax

• $25 for students living in residence if no property tax

Substantiating the problem

• This tax situation impacts up to 14, 799 students

• If everybody got the deemed occupancy cost, it’s $345,000 per year

• If everybody got half of the maximum eligibility, it’s $7,300,000 per year (20X the amount)

Why does this rule exists?• Redistributes students’ finances to colleges in the form

of tax exemptions

• The Government of Ontario is unable to provide reasoning regarding this issue

• The rule has existed in its form for approximately 160 years

– College residences simply qualify for this exemption!

In light of recent trends

• PSE salaries and benefits growing exponentially...!

Recommendation: Target OEPTC eligibility to low-income to moderate income individuals

living in college residences.

What information did I emphasize:

• What’s the problem? • Why is it a problem? • Current status– Who does it affect? – (If possible) how many people does it affect?– Evidence to substantiate the problem– How does it interact with accessibility and quality

(government priorities)?• How do we solve the problem? – What the outcomes are if we solve the problem?

Questions MPPs may have:

• How much will it cost? • Are these your biggest priorities? • How many students does this impact? • What are the expected outcomes from making this

change? • How will this strengthen accessibility and quality? • What do other stakeholders say about this issue? • What do you want me to do about it?

Sounds of silence:

• What are your thoughts in relation to what I’ve just said?

• Do you have any questions? • Is there any other information that you’d like to know

(we can look into it and get back to you- take notes!)? • Segway into your next topic! • Local issue• Thank you for meeting with us and we look forward

to working with you

Questions?

Next: “practice” (Alan Iverson- who knows this reference?)

“Hard on the training field, easy on the battle ground”