Ontario won’t make career college OSAP audit public, minister says

The Ontario government has decided not to make public a government-funded audit of financial aid usage at career colleges, according to the province's minister of colleges and universities, Nolan Quinn. Quinn engaged KPMG to conduct the audit following concerns about increasing usage of the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) at private post-secondary institutions.

Preliminary findings have raised significant concerns about the integrity of the OSAP system in these settings, prompting Quinn to refer the matter to the Ontario Provincial Police. Career Colleges Ontario, a group advocating for the sector, has been warning the government about OSAP activity at specific schools for years. When asked if he would commit to releasing the KPMG audit upon completion, Quinn stated that he aims to maintain the confidentiality of the audit but will act on its findings.

The Liberal government has attempted to push the legislature's public accounts committee, dominated by Progressive Conservatives, to request an investigation by the auditor general, resulting in the motion being voted down by the opposition.