If you’ve been skimming headlines lately, you might have seen mentions of Bill 33, The Supporting Children and Students Act, 2025. While the title sounds pretty neutral and in support of kids and students, many student associations – including our own Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) – are sounding alarms about what this legislation could mean in practice for campus life, student services, and the future of student democracy.

So, what’s Bill 33 actually about? At a high level, Bill 33 proposes to give students the ability to opt out of certain accessory fees, basically, the non-tuition fees that fund services run by student associations. Think of things like the Food Support Service, RAISE, the Glow Centre, Clubs, and WUSA-run events. According to a statement from the Council of Ontario Universities, Bill 33 also includes measures to address student safety, but it’s the financial provisions that have sparked the most debate on campus.

Why does WUSA care? 

In late June, WUSA submitted formal feedback to the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, as well as to local MPPs. Their main concern is that the broad opt-out mechanisms proposed in Bill 33 could undermine democratically approved fee structures, in other words, students have already voted on and agreed to these fees to support services they themselves identified as critical.

WUSA argues this legislation risks repeating the fallout of the 2019 Student Choice Initiative, which forced student organizations across Ontario to scramble when funding suddenly disappeared. If you were a student during that time, you might remember clubs being scaled back or disappearing altogether.

In their response, WUSA said:

“The introduction of broad opt-out mechanisms as outlined in the government’s proposed legislation poses a serious risk to student-led services… Students rely on these services, especially as the university faces growing financial pressures.”

They also noted that student associations are increasingly stepping in to fund programs the university itself doesn’t have the budget to sustain.

Where do other groups stand?

Steve Orsini, president and CEO of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU) released a statement, saying that while the bill aims to support student well-being, it conflicts with governing legislation, duplicates existing processes, increases administrative burdens, and fails to address root causes of student access challenges.

“Ontario’s universities look forward to continuing to work in partnership to address the real challenges facing students – especially the urgent need for sustainable funding, expanded enrolment capacity to meet a growing demand by more than 80,000 Ontario students, and financial support for a secure and world-leading research ecosystem,” Orsini said. 

The COU has called for the government to engage in meaningful consultation before moving forward.

What happens next? 

WUSA’s President Damian Mikhail and Vice President Remington Zhi are scheduled to meet the NDP Shadow Minister for Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security Peggy Sattler on July 18 to discuss potential next steps and strategies. WUSA is also working closely with the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) and other student unions to ensure a unified response if the bill proceeds unchanged.

As of now, the legislation is still working its way through the process, and nothing has been finalized. WUSA says it will keep students updated on any developments.

Why should you care?

It’s easy to tune out provincial legislation as “stuff that happens somewhere else” but these policies directly shape your campus experience. From mental health supports to club funding and equity initiatives, the services funded by accessory fees are often the backbone of student life. If Bill 33 passes without amendments, many of these programs could see reduced funding or disappear altogether.