Confederation College (File Photo)

The province is setting up a committee to examine the funding provided to post-secondary education.

The president and Chief Executive Officer of Seven Generations Education Institute, Brent Tookenay, is part of that committee.

As part of its work, the group is being asked to provide advice and recommendations on a long-term tuition fee policy.

“By launching a blue-ribbon panel, which will help inform actions Ontario can take to protect and grow our postsecondary education system, learners can continue to get the skills and education they need for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” says Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities.

College and university tuition will be frozen for a year in the meantime.

Colleges Ontario Chief Executive Officer Linda Franklin feels the freeze is unnecessary.

“It’s very disappointing we weren’t given the flexibility to respond to escalating cost pressures,” says Frankin.

“Tuition isn’t a barrier for college students in Ontario. We could have increased tuition while continuing to ensure college education remains affordable and accessible to all qualified students.”

Colleges Ontario state college tuition in Ontario is the second lowest in Canada.

The average tuition at Ontario’s colleges is 26 per cent below the national average and only half the average tuition in Alberta.