Drop out rate for Northern College less than estimated

This week, we learned nearly 25,700 full-time Ontario college students received tuition refunds after a five-week strike derailed their semester.

Ontario’s Ministry of Advanced Education confirmed Tuesday that 10.3 per cent of Ontario’s roughly 250,000 full-time college students asked for, and received, their money back after the strike.

Rogers Radio talked with Northern College President Fred Gibbons last week, where he estimated around 140 students would withdraw from Northern.

The final number is out, and Northern says 115 students requested refunds.

“Colleges have always been committed to supporting students who didn’t feel they could complete their studies at this time because of the strike,” Gibbons said in a release sent Wednesday.

“Many students who have withdrawn are looking to return to the college in the Fall of 2018. Our college, along with ontariocolleges.ca the provincial student college application service will be developing a pre-paid application voucher for those students who are wanting to return and complete their college education at Northern.”

Minister Deb Matthews said the figures are still preliminary and could change in the coming weeks as further numbers are reported by Ontario’s 24 colleges.