Ontario asks OPP to look into OSAP payments at private career colleges

Ontario has requested the provincial police to investigate potential criminal activity regarding student financial assistance payments at private career colleges. The government's decision comes after auditors raised concerns over the integrity of the OSAP system within the private post-secondary sector. Nolan Quinn, the Colleges and Universities Minister, stated that while the ongoing audit has identified serious issues, preliminary findings include common ownership, immigration firms involvement, inadequate student validation, and high concentrations of OSAP applications from specific locations.

The government has referred the matter to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the auditor general.

Critics have pointed out the Ontario government's perceived lack of oversight and action regarding the rapid growth of OSAP at some career colleges. Interim Liberal leader John Fraser called the situation a "colossal mess" and urged the minister to resign. In response, the government has paused all OSAP payments for career college students during the audit, causing uncertainty and unfair penalties for students.

The sector is also facing delays in processing applications, affecting schools like Mothercraft, which has a strong compliance record. The government is discussing low-interest, third-party loans for career college students in the meantime.