Bill 33—What Students Need to Know
Bill 33 is a new provincial law that gives the government the power to review and regulate certain student fees, the same fees that fund your clubs, esports teams, mental wellness supports, events, and your U-Pass. It matters now because the Bill has already passed, and upcoming consultations will shape what services stay, what changes, and what could be at risk.
If you rely on student-funded support to get to class, find community, or access resources on campus, Bill 33 directly affects you. What happens next depends on whether students speak up and make their needs impossible to ignore.
WHAT OUSA KNOWS SO FAR
The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) represents over 160,000 students across the province and advocates for accessible, high-quality post-secondary education.
The government has stated that transparency is the core motivation for Bill 33. Many students and families don’t know what each fee covers, and “bucket fees” that group multiple services together make that harder to understand.
They also emphasized that Bill 33 is not the Students Choice Initiative (SCI), the 2019 policy that allowed students to opt out of many fees.
They are not implementing a blanket opt-out model, and not all fees will be reviewed or changed. They also stated that they recognize the importance of student-union autonomy.
Still, the Bill gives the province new regulatory powers over certain student fees, which means the student voice must be loud, united, and impossible to ignore in the coming consultations.
EMPHASIZING STUDENT DEMOCRACY
Students already have democratic control over the fees they pay. Student unions across Ontario hold recurring referenda to review fees and confirm whether students still want to fund specific services.
At Ontario Tech, a real example of this is the U-Pass agreement, a mutually approved fee recently passed in March 2025 between the OTSU and the university. Students helped shape it, students voted to keep it, and many students rely on it every single day to get to class.
Some ancillary fees at Ontario Tech already have opt-out structures, for example, certain health-plan components, demonstrating that flexibility already exists without provincial intervention.
Student unions also work directly with universities through bilateral agreements. These are not one-sided decisions, they are collaborative processes meant to reflect student needs.
OTSU’s esports program is another example of a student-led investment: students asked for it, funded it, and built a community around it. This is what democratic decision-making on campus looks like.
WHY STUDENT-LED FEES MATTER
Student fees:
- Are set through transparent and democratic processes
- Allow students to fund services that actually match their needs
- Support programs many students use every day, even if they don’t always realize it
Students are not opposed to improving transparency, in fact, student unions welcome it, but those improvements must be made with students, not without them.
Student-funded services:
- Support mental wellness
- Provide affordable transportation
- Create leadership, volunteer, and employment opportunities
- Help students build community and belonging
- Offer niche supports that the university does not provide
Across Ontario Tech, students consistently share how essential these services are. Whether it’s finding a home through a club, competing in esports, relying on the U-Pass, or seeking help during a challenging semester, these services shape student life in real ways.
Bill 33 puts these systems under review. That doesn’t automatically mean they’re being removed, but it does mean student voices must guide what comes next.
WHAT STUDENT LEADERS ARE ASKING FOR
OUSA, alongside CSA, OSV, and CASA, is urging the provincial government to:
- Meet with Minister Nolan Quinn and hear directly from students about the impact of this Bill
- Send Bill 33 to the Standing Committee on Social Policy for deeper review and public consultation
- Remove Section 21.1, which enables direct provincial regulation of student fees
Students deserve a seat at the table. Decisions about student-funded services should involve the students who pay for them.
WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW
Even though the Bill has passed, consultations are coming. This is your moment to influence what the future of student services looks like.
Here’s how you can make an impact:
- Stay informed by following @ot_studentunion and @ousahome in Instagram
- Share your experiences with student services, your stories matter
- Join the conversation on how Ontario Tech should respond as consultations open
- Most importantly: reach out to your MPP
You can send a fully pre-written, auto-filled email to your MPP in seconds. It takes almost no effort, but the collective impact is massive.
AFTER THE BILL PASSES — WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The government will consult with student groups, and OUSA will likely be invited to those discussions. Student feedback is essential here: improving transparency is possible, but only if the student voice is clear about what is working and where things need to improve.
Student unions will be asking:
- How can fee structures be made clearer for students?
- What information do students actually need about their fees?
- Are there better ways to break down or explain “lumped fees”?
- How can we protect student democracy and preserve student-led decision making?
Student associations like the OTSU already do significant work to ensure fees are transparent, democratic, and connected to real student needs. That work will continue — and your voice strengthens it.
FEE STRUCTURES 101: WHAT YOU’RE FUNDING
“Did you know your student association provides these services?”
- Transit passes
- Insurance plans
- Clubs, events, and student programming
- Mental wellness supports
- Esports and athletics communities
- Volunteer, job, and leadership opportunities
- remove transit
Students pay fees to save money long-term, many services would cost dramatically more without student-negotiated agreements.
“Did you know your university provides these services?”
- Academic support
- Registrar services
- Campus infrastructure
- Transit passes (U-Pass)
- Mandatory university-levied fees
Understanding the difference matters, transparency empowers students.
WHY YOUR VOICE MATTERS
Because silence looks like agreement. Because every student association in Ontario is mobilizing.
Because once consultations begin, the student voice must be impossible to ignore.Because these services exist for you, but only if students fight to protect them.
This isn’t about politics. It’s about your campus, your experience, and your future.
Take 10 seconds. Send the email. Add your voice to the movement.Students built these services. Students run them. Students deserve a say in what happens next.
VP Student Affairs,
Anwoy Barua
