Local students are planning a rally for Friday afternoon after the provincial Tories cut a program that provided Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) grants that made tuition free of cost for low-income students.
The province also announced a number of other changes at the same time, including a 10-per-cent, across-the-board tuition fee cut to be funded by colleges and universities themselves.
They also announced students will be able to opt out of some of the fees funding campus services, a move that has angered student unions, which administer many of these services.
The six-month interest-free grace period on OSAP loans after graduation has also been eliminated.
The local rally gets underway starting at 12 p.m. Jan. 25 at Tom Davies Square. Laurentian University students interested in taking part are asked to meet in the bowling alley at 11 a.m. to head to the event by bus.
“This is for Laurentian Students, Boreal, Cambrian, Everest and any students in Sudbury that are affected by the new OSAP changes and funding cuts of the PC Government,” said the event's Facebook page.
"The Ford government has once again made us a false promise and we aren't going to take this laying down. Come join us as we march to Tom Davies Square Friday, January 25th.
“Together we will say hell no to the loss of the 6 month interest-free grace period. Hell no to the clamping down on tuition grants for low-income students.
“Hell no to the misleading 'students choice initiative' which will only act to reduce the services students have access to and weaken students voices and our ability to speak out unhindered and hold administrations and governments like Ford's accountable for their actions."
