Edited By Krisha Mansukhani
The Incidental Fee Opt-Out
Navigating life as a student can be challenging when you are balancing school, work, friends, family, and extracurriculars. With the recent implementation by the Ontario PC Party, of being able to opt-out of incidental fees, things may have gotten slightly more complicated. This option may be viewed as a pro or con but the opinion truly differs with every student. On one hand, it’s super exciting to be able to save some money… and we all know how badly students need to do that. However, it can be difficult for student life to growth or thrive without monetary support if everyone opts out of everything. So how can this be successfully navigated and how can we use this change to try and have everybody win?
What does this even mean?
This Incidental Fee Opt-Out basically gives us the option to stop paying extracurricular fees that we were required to pay in the past. Each incidental fee is different but they range from five cents to as much as thirteen dollars. It may seem small, but opting out of ALL fees possible can save a student around $200. For those struggling, this could mean the ability to afford an extra textbook or two. Some of the optional fees students will find at U of T include: Agenda Books, Day Care Subsidy, Orientation and Tax Clinic.
Who does this affect?
There is no doubt that every incidental benefits someone in the U of T community, however it is difficult to assume that every student benefits from every fee paid. Despite this, every single student is still affected by this recent change. There are two sides to every story and this instance is no exception. All students are affected, in that they have the ability to save a bit of money, however the impact goes much deeper. Without mandatory support of things such as bursaries, orientation and the volunteer program, it is quite possible that those programs will find themselves limited on the services they can offer. There is also a potential loss of jobs in these departments depending on the magnitude of the dip in financial support.
Is this fair?
When it comes to issues such as this one it can be challenging to develop a firm answer, often leaving discussions in the grey. The fairness of such instances are incredibly relative but who better to determine such measures than the students themselves. After discussions with multiple students I started to see a few different perspectives. One individual I had spoken to was not interested in opting-out, claiming that the price difference was not too drastic and quite marginal in comparison to the price of tuition. Because of this, the money may as well go towards supporting school services. I did come to find that most individuals were somewhere near the middle of the spectrum, not completely determined to never pay extra fees again but not dedicated 100% to paying for every single thing the school has to offer. The common verdict was, ‘I opted out of the things that I didn’t use anyways but I still paid for a few of the services that I find beneficial.’ The argument makes simple sense, students are satisfied with paying as long as they personally support it. Giving students a breakdown of fees not only helps them feel more in control of their money but also helps them understand what they are paying for. So the general verdict was that yes, this was fair. Although some services may become reduced or obsolete from this change, it can become incredibly difficult for students to financially support a benefit that they are not reaping. And in hindsight, it may be beneficial to use this information to devote less resources to services that are less favoured.
How can students decide what to do?
There is no clear set of defined steps that a student should go through during the opt-out process but there are few things that can be kept in mind. When looking at the list, individuals should consider how this service enhanced their U of T life either in the past or present, or potentially even in the future. It is critical to remember that opting out of services gives the school the right to reject you from them. Because of this, if you think you have even a small chance of attending the Tax Clinic because you have no idea what a T4 is, paying a few extra dollars to support it wouldn’t be so bad. Another thing to consider is who the service is supporting if it isn’t you as looking at the list of incidentals, some align with various societal issues. Although you may not be directly affected, if you believe in it then there is no harm in providing some financial support. This of course is all relative to student financial needs and whether or not the money can be better allocated to other school materials.
In essence, student life is complicated, there is no doubt about that. In a world with so many different perspectives and options it is important that we know what we stand for and what we support. When it comes down to it, what you want to do is in your hands so make sure you know what you are holding.