Ontario students are pressuring the Liberal Party government to reduce tuition fees instead of its recent election commitment of a tuition reduction grant that will only cover some of the pro­vince’s student population.

The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario has delivered a petition to Queen’s Park that garnered tens of thousands of signatures from students across Ontario calling for the nearly $500 million cost of the plan to be reallocated to lowering tuition fees for all students.

“In just one month, more than 40,000 students have clearly stated that they want the Liberal’s tui­tion grant promise to be turned into a tuition fee reduction for all,” said Krisna Saravanamuttu of the CFS.

Eligibility criteria for the grant exclude a majority of college and university students, as students over the age of 21, graduate students, part-time students, students in professional programs, and students whose parents earn more than $160,000 annually will receive no relief.

The federation says tuition cuts would mean every post-secondary student in Ontario would see a 13 per cent reduction with virtually no administrative costs attached.

“Dalton McGuinty was elected by promising to reduce tuition fees, and students are calling on him to keep his promise and turn this grant into an across-the-board fee reduction,” Saravanamuttu said.