TTC fare freeze brings temporary relief to students, financial impact continues
By Shaaranki Kulenthirarasa
Students at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) are relieved after Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow announced that Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) fares will be frozen for the second year in a row. This action is a part of the city’s 2025 operating budget.
At a news conference on Jan. 7, Chow said the fare freeze was enacted to help Torontonians with the affordability crisis. Though fares will remain the same, the TTC requested that its board approve a budget of $1.387 billion for the year to improve service.
Second-year TMU business management student Harini Sivagumar said while the freeze is helpful, lowering fares altogether would help her get more involved on campus.
“Some events would happen on the days I am not in class, so I would just avoid them and only go to the ones that happen on the same day,” she said.
Sivagumar—who commutes from Mississauga—spends almost $15 a day commuting to and from campus.
Student Access Guarantee bursary no longer requires application
By Daniel Opasinis
In December 2024, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) changed its distribution process for the Student Access Guarantee (SAG) bursary. Rather than accepting applications, funds will now be automatically distributed to all eligible students.
The SAG bursary is a financial benefit designed to assist students with academic expenses, aimed at providing eligible students with greater access to textbooks, tuition and class-based compulsory fees.
“If you’re a domestic undergraduate, graduate, law or continuing education student receiving full-time OSAP, you may qualify for Student Access Guarantee,” reads the TMU’s website.
First-year biology student Sarah Dayrit was eligible for the bursary but wasn’t aware of its existence.
“Working two jobs at the time, it was almost impossible for me to make time to apply [for awards],” she said.
Dayrit believes opening accessibility for the SAG bursary would give more students the opportunity to receive funding supports.
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