. ▁The ▁report ▁also ▁called ▁for ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁public ▁fund ing ▁of ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities ▁- ▁about ▁half ▁of ▁what ▁had ▁been ▁cut ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁de cade , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁up front ▁gr ants ▁for ▁students ▁who ▁come ▁from ▁households ▁with ▁an ▁income ▁of ▁less ▁than ▁$ 2 2 , 0 0 0 ▁per ▁an num . ▁ ▁Crit ic ism ▁ ▁R ae ' s ▁appointment ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁many ▁students , ▁who ▁had ▁seen ▁his ▁government ▁permit ▁a ▁ 5 7 % ▁increase ▁in ▁tu ition ▁fe es ▁and ▁the ▁elim ination ▁of ▁need - based ▁gr ants . ▁ ▁( The ▁R ae ▁administration ▁cut ▁back ▁on ▁social ▁services ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁n inet ies ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁def ic it ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁re cess ion .) ▁ ▁The ▁composition ▁of ▁the ▁advis ory ▁panel ▁also ▁came ▁under ▁fire ▁as ▁none ▁of ▁its ▁members ▁had ▁a ▁record ▁of ▁support ▁for ▁reduced ▁or ▁fro zen ▁tu ition ▁fe es . ▁ ▁R ae ▁was ▁also ▁critic ized ▁for ▁having ▁drawn ▁conclus ions ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁consult ation ▁phase ▁of ▁the ▁review . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁R ae ▁spec ulated ▁about ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁an ▁out right ▁der eg ulation ▁of ▁tu ition ▁fe es ▁- ▁to ▁the ▁out rage ▁of ▁student ▁advoc acy ▁groups . ▁ ▁Upon ▁its ▁release ▁the ▁report ▁was ▁critic ized ▁by ▁Howard ▁Ham pton , ▁R ae ' s ▁former ▁cabinet ▁minister