Liberals allege Ford government has political ties to career colleges under OSAP probe

The Progressive Conservative government in Ontario is facing accusations of having political ties with career colleges under scrutiny in an OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) scandal. The government suspended six private career colleges from OSAP eligibility and initiated a sector-wide audit after internal investigations found potential misuse of taxpayer dollars.

However, the opposition Liberal Party alleges that the government should have acted sooner, noting that they received warnings as early as 2023 from a career college advocacy group. Liberal leader John Fraser claims cabinet ministers attended the campus opening of one of the suspected colleges shortly after it was probed, and the founders of one such college donated to the PC Party since 2024.

The Liberal Party also points out that the college hired lobbyists who previously worked in the premier's office, suggesting potential corruption or incompetence. The government has since barred three career colleges from offering publicly funded student assistance until 2030, leaving many students without promised funding.

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