An Ontario court has struck down a provincial government order that made some post-secondary student fees optional.
It stems from an order last December called the "Student Choice Initiative."
The Canadian Federation of Students filed a legal challenge, arguing the move was a politically motivated attack on student unions and services that threatened university independence.
The groups said the change was arbitrary and threatened student-led programs such as clubs, campus newspapers, food banks and other support services, and part-time jobs.
Hannah Mackie, president of the Nipissing University Student Union told BayToday they are quite excited by the court's news.
"We're definitely sitting on the edge of our seats waiting to see the timeline and what the larger implications will be. I think the students see us as a positive influence on campus and see the services we provide as necessary and essential so I feel confident that we'll move forward in a positive way."
Of particular concern to Mackie was the new $13 million student centre presently under construction and requires full student financial support.
"We would have made it work because this is a long-standing project. The student fee is protected and goes toward capital costs to put this building together, however one of the issues is you don't have any staff to run the programing in the building and it's just an empty building, right? So that's where we are looking at some of those issues of clubs, student groups, student advocacy, societies and things like that. Those were the fees that were initially targeted through the Student Choice Initiative that wouldn't allow us to function in the building and having it operating in its full extent."
The student centre will open in the fall of 2020.
The government had argued that students should have more choice as to which campus services they support.
In its unanimous ruling, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice Divisional Court said the government's decision to enact the policy was beyond its legislative authority.
With files from Canadian Press.
