By Lorinda Seward, Local 351, Editor inSolidarity
Once upon a time, getting a college education was seen as a ticket to stability – a good job, a decent wage, maybe even a house (imagine!). But these days, Ontario’s college system looks more like a sinking ship, and Doug Ford’s government isn’t exactly rushing to hand out lifejackets. With colleges across the province slashing programs, laying off staff, and wringing their hands over enrollment declines, it’s fair to ask: how did we get here?
The short answer? A deadly combination of chronic underfunding, a government that doesn’t seem to value education, and the slow creep of anti-intellectualism making people question whether higher education is even worth it anymore.
Let’s unpack how Ontario’s college sector ended up on life support – because, make no mistake, the damage isn’t accidental. It’s the result of years of decisions that made it harder for people to see the value in post-secondary education, and now we’re all paying the price.
Step One: Defund and Ignore
Ontario has the lowest per-student post-secondary funding in Canada. Let that sink in. While Ford and his cronies like to talk about “investing in students,” the reality is that provincial support for colleges has been shrinking for years. Tuition freezes sound great on paper – who doesn’t love affordability? – but without increased government funding to make up the difference, colleges were forced to turn to international student tuition to keep the lights on.
And then, just as Ontario colleges fully hitched their wagons to international student tuition, the federal government pulled the rug out with an enrollment cap. Now, we have colleges scrambling to cut costs, laying off staff, and suspending programs left and right. Meanwhile, administrative offices remain largely untouched, their salaries still comfortably padded. Funny how that works.
I’ve been a member of OPSEU/SEFPO’s CAAT-S division – the union representing Ontario’s college support staff – for over 24 years. During that time, I’ve seen a disturbing trend: a steady rise in administrative positions while frontline support staff numbers dwindle. It’s not just frustrating – it’s unsustainable. We’re the ones who keep the colleges running, ensuring students get the support they need. Yet, when it comes time to “tighten belts,” it’s always our jobs on the chopping block while admin continues to expand.
Step Two: Undermine the Value of Education
At the same time that Ontario colleges were being set up to fail financially, we’ve also seen a rise in anti-intellectual sentiment – often pushed by the same right-wing populist forces that love to gut public services while pretending it’s all about “efficiency.”
The message? Post-secondary education is an overpriced scam, skilled trades are the only real jobs, and other college programs are just churning out “woke” graduates with useless diplomas. Never mind that colleges are the backbone of training for the very same skilled trades Ford claims to champion – his government has still found ways to devalue and defund them.
This kind of rhetoric has consequences. It discourages people from pursuing post-secondary education, fuels resentment toward workers in education sectors, and ultimately gives the government cover to keep slashing funding. If people believe college isn’t worth it, why would they fight to save it?
Step Three: Watch It All Fall Apart
And now, here we are. College enrollments are dropping. Entire programs are being axed. Support staff – the people who keep these institutions running – are being handed pink slips. And students who do enroll are finding fewer services, fewer resources, and larger class sizes.
Make it make sense.
Follow the Money
Data from the Public Sector Salary Disclosure shows that across all 24 publicly funded Ontario Colleges, between 2018 and 2023 (Public Sector Salary Disclosure, n.d.):
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The number of Vice Presidents increased by 43.75%, and their total salary increased by 60.8%.
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The number of Associate Vice Presidents increased by 82.5%, and their total salary increased by 125.84%.
Meanwhile, tuition fee revenue has tripled across the colleges since 2010, while provincial funding has decreased by 28%. Ontario ranks dead-last among the provinces for per-student funding, sitting $8,411 short of the national average. Since Ford’s election in 2018, international enrollment has tripled, while domestic enrollment is down by 20%. The college system accumulated a record surplus of $1 billion in 2023-24 alone – but instead of reinvesting in staff and programs, that money, like previous surpluses, is going to capital assets (i.e., more buildings) (OPSEU/SEFPO, 2025).
As of today, nearly all of Ontario’s 24 public colleges have announced some combination of devastating program closures, campus closures, and layoffs. To stop these cuts, save jobs, and support college education, it would take $1.4 billion in immediate bridge funding and another $1.34 billion to bring per-student funding up to the national average (OPSEU/SEFPO, 2025).
For comparison:
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Ontario has allocated $1 billion for the construction of a new private spa and luxury resort at Ontario Place.
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The Ford government believe they have a mandate to dig a tunnel under the 401, estimated to cost the people of Ontario $55 billion.
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In 2023, Ontario colleges spent $245 million on executive compensation and administrative salaries while cutting frontline staff.
What Happens Next?
If we let this continue, Ontario’s public colleges will become shells of what they were meant to be: underfunded, understaffed, and only accessible to those who can pay increasingly high fees. Meanwhile, private, for-profit education providers will happily fill the gap, offering subpar training at premium prices.
Our colleges were built to equip students to enter the workforce and, in turn, build Ontario’s future. Today, they’re crumbling – because the Ford government set them up like a house of cards and walked away from its responsibility to fund them.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We need to push back – loudly. We need to demand proper funding, challenge the narrative that education isn’t valuable, and remind this government that Ontario’s economy depends on a strong college system.
Because let’s be clear: somebody is going to train the next generation of nurses, social workers, IT professionals, and skilled tradespeople. The only question is, will it be our well-funded, publicly accessible college system – or a bunch of cut-rate private diploma mills?
The choice is ours.
For more information, visit: saveourcolleges.ca
References:
- OPSEU/SEFPO. (2025). A better plan: Solutions to the crisis in Ontario’s colleges.
- Public sector salary disclosure. (n.d.). ontario.ca. https://www.ontario.ca/page/public-sector-salary-disclosure