Cuts to OSAP will Hurt Ontario’s Post-Secondary Students
Tyler Watt joined by College and University student leaders at a Fix-OSAP-ASAP press conference hosted in the Queen’s Park Media Studio on February 20, 2026.
Column published in the February 26, 2026 edition of Your Barrhaven Independent — Community Voice.
By: Tyler Watt, MPP
In my previous Barrhaven Independent column, I wrote about my Local Matters Tour, which has taken me to college and university campuses across the province to hear directly from students, faculty, and staff. Those conversations could not happen at a more critical moment. The provincial government’s recent announcements on changes to the post-secondary funding model and the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) have made these conversations with students even more urgent.
I was on a university campus last week when the provincial government held a press conference to state the decision to lift the domestic tuition cap and overhaul OSAP by heavily shifting support away from grants and towards loans. These changes will be felt by thousands of students and families in Nepean and across Ontario, adding further financial pressures at a time when the cost of living is already high and institutions are struggling after years of underfunding.
Last week’s announcement recognizes that post-secondary institutions are under strain. The government’s commitment of $6.4 billion and the development of a long-term funding model provides colleges and universities with greater financial stability and predictability. The lifting of the domestic tuition freeze – allowing increases of 2% annually – will also help campuses plan more sustainably, particularly as reliance on international student tuition in Canada has become increasingly uncertain. But while institutions gain stability, Ontario’s students are left to shoulder an untenable financial burden.
The most concerning is the massive change to OSAP. Previously, students could receive up to 85% of their support through non-repayable grants. Under the new model, grants can only account for 25% of assistance, with most of the support issued as loans. This is not a minor change – that’s a seismic shift that will leave students graduating with substantially higher debt. For many students who are already struggling with rising housing, grocery, and transportation costs, this will make post-secondary education out of reach for so many.
The impact extends beyond campus. At a time when Ontario faces critical workforce shortages in healthcare, education, skilled trades and technology, discouraging access to post-secondary education is short-sighted. Our economy depends on a well-educated workforce, and policies that make a degree, diploma, or certificate less attainable ultimately weaken that foundation.
A government cannot claim to be strengthening Ontario’s future while making it harder for low and middle-income students to access higher education. A loan-heavy OSAP system raises financial barriers and shifts the burden of a funding crisis onto students. Supporting institutional sustainability and protecting accessibility to education are not mutually exclusive. We can – and must – do both.
Since these changes were announced, my office has heard from hundreds of students and parents here in Nepean and across the province who are worried about how they will afford school. That is why I will table a petition when the legislature resumes, calling on the government to reconsider these changes and ensure that post-secondary education remains accessible to every qualified student in Ontario. Young people in the province deserve a fair shot at building their futures, without being weighed down by unreasonable debt load before their careers even begin.