Ontario students offered tuition refund as college strike ends

TORONTO – The Ontario government is offering a full tuition refund to students who withdraw from this semester because of the province’s five-week-long college strike.

READ MORE: Bill passed to end five-week long Ontario college strike

The Ministry of Advanced Education says students will have two weeks from the resumption of classes tomorrow to decide whether or not they want to continue with the condensed semester.

The government says students will also be eligible to receive up to $500 for unexpected costs they incurred because of the labour dispute, such as childcare fees, rebooked train or bus tickets, or rent.

LISTEN: Students say mental health affected by strike

College faculty in Ontario head back to their schools today, after the strike was ended over the weekend with back-to-work legislation.

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LISTEN: OPSEU’s Warren “Smokey” Thomas joins The Morning Show

READ MORE: Back-to-work legislation on track to be pushed through Sunday

The 12,000 professors, instructors, counsellors and librarians, who had been on strike since Oct. 15, are returning to work to prepare for students’ return tomorrow.

VIDEO: Ontario colleges strike ‘a victory’ in some ways: OPSEU president

0:31 Ontario colleges strike ‘a victory’ in some ways: OPSEU president

Ontario’s Liberal government first tried to introduce and pass the back-to-work legislation in one fell swoop Thursday night but the NDP forced the legislature to sit through the weekend to debate the bill, ultimately passing it Sunday afternoon.

LISTEN: Sheridan Student Kayla Jackson calls for cancellation of the semester