Brock University students welcomed news of the Ontario government’s budget promise to revamp tuition grants and cover the cost of tuition for students from households making less than $50,000 per year.

“This way I think everyone will have access to education,” said second-year computer science student Shahriar Soudian. “Post-secondary education will be easier to get than ever before.”

However, he said making school more affordable shouldn’t make it less competitive.

“As long as the academic standards remain, it’s a huge help for students,” he said.

While he wouldn’t qualify for the Ontario Student Grant announced Thursday, he knows many people who would. He said some of his friends would be able to focus on school rather than working to help pay for their education.

First-year nursing student Shaylea Moschella, of Fort Erie, is paying for her schooling with the help of the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). She plans to look into whether she would qualify for the new grant program, which is slated for implementation in the 2017-18 school year.

If she isn’t, she said she’s still happy it will exist for students from low-income families.

“Even though they may not have the money, it doesn’t mean they don’t have the grades and ambition to go to,” she said.

Emer Ferguson, a second-year psychology student, likes the budget promise but questions where the money will come from.

She hopes it doesn’t impact the funding available to students from higher-income families, noting her parents are helping pay for post-secondary education for her and her sibling.

Fellow psychology student Rachel Riediger wants to hear more details about the budget promise.

“They weren’t very specific. The announcement was really vague and broad,” she said.

The Council of Ontario Universities applauded the budget measure and said the changes will result in easier access to aid, more grants for the students who need it most, and more assistance in both grants and loans to students from middle-income families. It said the changes will also mean that in time, students will receive assistance at registration instead of having to pay full tuition up-front and wait to be reimbursed.

Another budget announcement that will impact students at Brock was news that the province hopes to extend GO train service into Niagara.

Bishouy Elmenshawy, a first-year general science student, commutes daily from Hamilton and said he would rather be taking the GO train than driving.
“It will help the whole region,” he said.

Erin Scattolon, a first-year nursing student from Burlington, said having GO train service in St. Catharines would make it easier for her to visit family on the weekends.

“It will definitely be more convenient for people living here,” she said.

Kylee Slade, a second-year psychology student, said saving gas money and avoiding the QEW traffic would have her utilizing GO service.

“It’s nice to be able to have that option,” she said.

Riediger, who is in a co-op stream, said if GO train service was in Niagara there would be more opportunities for her when it comes to placements.

Many of the co-ops are in the GTA, which can be a barrier for some students, she said.