TORONTO - More Ontario students are seeking financial aid this September to pay for their college and university tuition after a bleak summer of unemployment and a rocky financial year, which also saw many of their parents out of work.
The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities says Ontario Student Assistance Program applications are up 5.7 per cent this year for colleges and 4.6 per cent for universities.
Patrick O'Jorman, a spokesperson for the ministry, says this corresponds with the total number of people applying to schools.
But financial aid officials at some universities in the province say students are facing more financial hurdles this year than previous years to pay for their tuition.
The University of Windsor has seen a 30 per cent increase in financial aid requests compared to last year.
Financial aid officials at the University of Toronto say there is a 12 per cent increase in financial aid applications for the school year.
University registrars are pointing to a record high student unemployment rate as the main reason young people are seeking financial assistance.
