Fix OSAP ASAP: Don't Make Students Pay for the Government's Mistakes

The Issue

The Ontario government was warned for years about suspicious OSAP funding flowing to a small number of private career colleges. Instead of acting sooner, it suspended OSAP funding across the private career college sector, leaving thousands of students facing uncertainty.

At the same time, the government has cut the maximum share of OSAP assistance available as grants for students at public colleges and universities from 85% to just 25%, forcing students to take on more debt.

Students are being made to pay for the government's failure to properly oversee OSAP.

Many students made life-changing decisions based on expected OSAP funding, including reducing work hours, arranging childcare, paying tuition and starting their programs. Now, they risk dropping out, taking on private loans or being unable to afford basic necessities.

Meanwhile, students at public institutions are being scapegoated for rising OSAP costs to justify cuts to grants that make education less affordable.

The government should cut off the bad actors, not students who followed the rules.

We call on the Ontario government to:

1. Honour OSAP funding commitments. Protect students who applied for, were assessed for or were approved for funding before the suspension.

2. Restore OSAP at compliant private career colleges. Reinstate eligibility for students at institutions not under investigation or found to have engaged in wrongdoing.

3. Restore OSAP grants at public institutions. Reverse grant cuts for public college and university students to reduce their financial burden.

4. Hold bad actors accountable. Investigate and take action against institutions and individuals responsible for abusing OSAP.

5. Provide full transparency. Release a timeline of government warnings, actions and findings from completed audits and investigations, subject to legal and privacy requirements.

Students should not have to abandon their education or take on more debt because of government failures.

Sign this petition to tell the Ontario government: Fix OSAP ASAP. Don't Make Students Pay for the Government's Mistakes.