How the new Supporting Students and Children Act, Impacts Ontario Universities
On November 20, 2025, the Ontario government passed Bill 33.
This bill, also known as the Supporting Children and Students Act, has an impact on universities and colleges across Ontario. Specifically, this Bill is applied to every college of arts and technology and the publicly- assisted university, as noted in section 16.0.2.
The bill identifies that for impacted post-secondary institutions; all applicants should be assessed on the merit of the individual applicant and that the merits that are used for applicants must be published in publicly accessible way that lists the criteria and process being used.
The largest concern across universities is the control the government will have over ancillary fees. Ancillary fees are the extra charges beyond base price that support services common in post-secondary education. This can include student activities, health coverage, travel fees, etc.
For Laurier Brantford, this can include aspects of student experience such as students’ Union, club funding, and other campus services.
Giulia Di Lollo, a Laurier Brantford student, said that certain components of the bill are crucial to shaping a society of hard working individuals “specifically schedule 3… is found within many scholarly studies and analyses, which argue that merit-based admissions are essential for creating a school environment characterized by one’s efforts rather than their identity,” Di Lollo said.
Despite regulation in application processes, many continue to stress the other aspects of Bill 33. Specifically, a number of universities have set up campaigns opposing the bill. This has been noted from Students Unions at University of Toronto. The Students Union posted a campaign to their website listing many ways that students could get involved, one being the Queen’s park rally.
The Queen’s park rally, that happened on Nov 19, included hundreds of education employees, students, and union members.
Di Lollo believes that students should be involved in the decision making when it comes to their fees and experiences.
“When it comes to funding or student services, students are the ones paying and using those services, so they should have a clear say on whether fees are introduced or changed. Referendums allow students to vote on specific questions rather than having those decisions made solely by administrators or those with authority who do not accurately reflect the will of the fee-payers (i.e., students),” Di Lollo said.
A common misconception is that Bill 33 will abolish Students’ Union entirely, but the bill rather just adjusts how fees and admissions are regulated.
The main takeaway of the bill and why it matters to students is that universities are already facing major financial and structural pressure. In a report done by the Council of Ontario university in June 2025, it is argued that universities already have strong systems in place for areas such as admissions transparency and fee governance. COU says that the new bill overreaches into areas that are already regulated.
Di Lollo shared what she would tell those making the decisions surrounding the new bill to help them understand student life. “If I could speak directly to those making these decisions, I’d want them to understand that neither the government nor senior administrators are the ones actually experiencing student life daily. They are not the ones sitting in classrooms or relying on campus services to get through the term. Yet students are the ones who experience consequences when power is centralized at the top,” said Di Lollo.
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