The government issued this announcement in a press release, stating that the suspension of the 2019-20 tuition fees will be extended again during the 2022-2023 semester.

For her part, Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities, said in a statement: "Our government recognizes that students and their families make huge sacrifices to attend college and university, so our government will continue to look for ways to reduce financial barriers for learners."

"By freezing tuition fees for another year, we are saying yes to ensuring that students receive high-quality post-secondary education at an affordable cost, and reducing financial pressures on families who have already faced many challenges throughout the pandemic."

In the statement, the government calls for a "historic" 10 percent reduction in 2019 tuition fees, which they say saved students about $450 million annually compared to the previous year's costs.

At the same time, the province also canceled free tuition for low-income students through the Ontario Student Assistance Plan. Instead, students with a family income of $50,000 or less will receive a mix of grants and loans, which must be repaid to the government.

They also lowered the annual income repayment threshold for OSAP from $35,000 to $25,000 - meaning that once graduated, once the student earns $25,000, they will have to start repaying the money they borrowed.

The six-month interest-free grace period was also eliminated.

The suspension of 2019-2020 tuition fees was extended last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but did not apply to out-of-province students or international students.

Editing: Dima Abu Khair