The British Columbia Federation of Students (BCFS), representing over 170,000 students in British Columbia, stands in solidarity with students in Ontario fighting to protect their right to organise and serve their members. Ontario’s proposed Bill 33, Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025, threatens to erode the democratic foundations of campus life by giving the government the power to regulate student fees, weaken equity in admissions, and insert political oversight into academic research.

The provincial bill, introduced in May 2025, could lead to deep cuts to essential services students rely on. The impacts on students, families, and campus communities will be immense, at a time when institutions are already facing financial instability and on-campus services are already stretched thin.   

What are the Key Threats in Bill 33?

Bill 33 would empower the Ontario government to regulate and override student fees at public colleges and universities and determine which fees institutions can or cannot require students to pay. This sweeping power makes no distinction between administrative ancillary fees and democratically approved student society fees. In practice, it means fees that fund student unions, clubs, and services, approved by students via referendum, could be deemed non-essential.

This not only undermines students’ rights to self-organise on campus but also directly threatens the financial independence of student organisations and their ability to run services by students, for students. Student fees are not “extras” — they fund vital programs that meet growing needs on campuses, including:

• On-campus food banks
• Legal aid services
• Mental health and peer support services
• Campus clubs, cultural organisations and equity centres
• Transit programs
• Campus media and access to information and news

The bill also includes vague language on “merit-based” admissions, which could limit access for marginalized or underrepresented students. The Ontario Human Rights Commission has voiced concern that this change could roll back progress on inclusive education, effectively discouraging efforts to admit and support students from historically marginalized communities. Treating all applicants “the same” regardless of unequal starting points undermines the substantive equality that institutions are striving for.

Bill 33 would also require colleges and universities to develop and implement “research security plans,” opening the door to political interference in academic work. This threatens academic freedom and establishes a climate of fear and uncertainty in research communities. It sets a worrisome precedent that research agendas could be policed for political reasons, a stark departure from the autonomy that post-secondary institutions traditionally have.

These issues are not limited to Ontario; they challenge the very principles of fairness and rights to organise that define Canada’s post-secondary sector and could set a precedent for government overreach into student representation and institutional autonomy.

History Repeating: Similarities to the Student Choice Initiative

This isn’t the first time the province has tried to control student fees. Bill 33 is similar to the Ford government’s 2019 Student Choice Initiative (SCI), a policy that let students opt in or out of certain fees that the provincial government deemed as non-essential ancillary fees. The SCI led to major cuts to campus newspapers, sexual assault support centres, 2SLGBTQIA+ services, and other programs.

The SCI was deemed unlawful in court, and Bill 33 appears to be the government’s second attempt — this time by legislating their power over post-secondary institutions and eroding longstanding practices that protect students’ interests.

A Call to Protect Student Rights and Educational Integrity

The BCFS joins students in Ontario to urge provincial legislators to listen to students’ concerns and reconsider the post-secondary measures in Bill 33 by referring the bill to the Standing Committee on Social Policy and removing section 21.1 which empowers the government to regulate and override student-approved fees.

The affordability challenges students face will not be solved by attacking students’ unions or equity programs. We call on policymakers to consult students and educators in good faith when addressing issues of tuition, fees, and academic security. Students in every province are watching what happens in Ontario. When one government undermines student representation and institutional autonomy, others may follow.

Student organising is a fundamental part of the post-secondary experience. Whether it is through campus life events, advocacy initiatives, or student-funded services, our post-secondary spaces are better when students’ voices and concerns are listened to. The right to organise is at the heart of the student movement. It is fundamental in our ability to create change at institutions. This right was hard-won and must be protected throughout Canada.