Minister’s revised directive on the costs of educational materials to publicly assisted colleges and universities

Introduction

The Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024 received Royal Assent on May 16, 2024. This legislation amended the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act (the Act) with new requirements for Ontario’s publicly assisted colleges and universities. The new MTCU Act provisions allow for directives to be issued to publicly assisted colleges and universities that require these institutions to provide students with information about educational costs associated with attending the institution.

The educational costs directive is issued to publicly assisted colleges and universities pursuant to subsection 21(2) of the MTCU Act. The objectives of the directive are to:

• ensure students and their families can find information on educational costs with ease.
• improve consistency across the sector in publishing educational costs and leverage best practices

Educational costs include ancillary fees, the costs of textbooks and other learning materials.

Ancillary fees

Ancillary fees are fees charged to support services and activities distinct from academic programming or general overhead for the institution in addition to tuition fees. For the complete definition of ancillary fees please refer to the guidelines and references noted below.

The publication of ancillary fees is currently required through the Tuition and Ancillary Fees Minister’s Binding Policy Directive for colleges and the Tuition Fee Framework Implementation Guidelines for Publicly Assisted Universities or theOntario Operating Funds Distribution Manual.

The directive does not include any changes to the current requirements for the publication of ancillary fees other than annual reporting as noted below.

Costs of textbooks and other learning materials

Each publicly assisted college and university shall ensure that students are informed of the costs of all textbooks and other learning materials that are mandatory and optional in the course syllabus for each course.

At a minimum, the following information should be provided in the syllabus:

• Each textbook or other learning material should be individually costed. In the event that the cost for the current year is not available at the time the syllabus is prepared, the most recent cost should be included with a note indicating that it may change.
• Whether there are any restrictions that would prevent a student from using a second-hand copy of the textbook or other learning material.

Alternatively, instead of using the syllabus, an institution may communicate the above-noted information to students by another method, such as a website. The institution must ensure that:

• the information is readily available and accessible by the first week of the course
• the method for communicating the information is consistent for all courses offered at the institution

This requirement is effective for all courses beginning in or after January 2025 and will remain in effect until this directive is revoked or replaced.

Annual reporting to boards

Subsection 21(6) of the MTCU Act requires annual reporting to governing boards on the implementation of this directive.

Publicly assisted colleges and universities must include the following information in their report to the board in respect of the preceding year:

• Ancillary fees as approved by the board of governors or governing body per current requirements in the Tuition and Ancillary Fees Minister’s Binding Policy Directive for colleges and the Tuition Fee Framework Implementation Guidelines for Publicly Assisted Universities,or the Ontario Operating Funds Distribution Manual.
• The method used by the institution for communicating the costs of textbooks and other learning materials (for example, syllabus or alternative method of communication such as a website).
• The percentage of courses that included the costs of textbooks and other learning materials in their course syllabuses. If the percentage is less than 100%, the report should include plans on how and when the institution will reach full compliance with the requirements in this directive.
• The percentage of courses that included the costs of textbooks and other learning materials in their course syllabuses or in the alternative method of communication. If the percentage is less than 100%, the report must include plans on how and when the institution will reach full compliance with the requirements in this directive. It is expected that all institutions reach full compliance by the Fall 2025–2026 school year.
• A summary of current and planned communications to students on where to find information on educational costs.

Annual reports must also be shared with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) within 10 working days of being presented to and approved by a governing board.

Institutions can provide the annual report to MCU by emailing it to the attention of the Director for Postsecondary Education Policy Branch at psepolicy@ontario.ca.

Best practices

In the interest of students, the following best practices are recommended:

• Institutions should make students aware of how to find information on ancillary fees and the cost of textbooks and other learning materials.
• No other educational material costs should be added to a course after the distribution of the information on course-related educational costs in the first week of classes.
• Along with textbook costs, a syllabus or alternative method of communication should include information about textbook features (for example, personalized online study tools).
• Faculty should be encouraged to use Open Educational Resources (OERs) to help make postsecondary education more affordable for students. OER resources are available through eCampusOntario.