Post-secondary students across Ontario walk out of classrooms to protest province's cuts to OSAP, tuition hike

On Thursday, students from 15 post-secondary campuses in Ontario organized a protest against the Ford government's proposed changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), including cuts to funding, tuition fee increases, and allegations of government interference in educational institutions. Thousands of students carried signs that read "Hands Off Our Education!" and "Hands Off Our OSAP!" as they marched through university and college campuses, including the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa, to highlight what the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) described as an "attack on education" by Premier Doug Ford and his administration.

Leah St. Germain, an OCAD University student and CFS Ontario representative, emphasized during the protest that education is a fundamental right and that students are determined to fight for it. She stated that they are bearing the brunt of the government's failures and will continue to use every tactic available to pressure the administration until a publicly-funded system that supports all students is established.

Cyrielle Ngeleka, the CFS Ontario chairperson, expressed her concern over the Ford government's alleged evasion of accountability while schools face underfunding and students are burdened by debt due to the reduction of OSAP grants. In February, the Ford government announced a significant reduction in student assistance grants, citing "unsustainable" costs.

Beginning August 1, the maximum proportion of non-repayable grants students could receive from OSAP was reduced from 85% to a maximum of 25%, with the remainder in loans. Additionally, the seven-year freeze on tuition was lifted, allowing institutions to increase tuition by up to 2% per year for the next three years.

CFS argues that students demand OSAP in grants, not loans, that interest rates are removed, tuition costs be curbed, and the government ends its involvement in admissions, student fees, and research security plans. The protests come at a time when the Ford government is facing questions regarding its freeze of OSAP for students attending private career colleges, as the government investigates some schools for potential fraudulent activity.

Data obtained by Global News revealed that between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years, the province spent $465 million more on OSAP grants, with 95% of that funding going to private career college students.

Ford's administration claims that the OSAP freeze was necessary while investigating the alleged fraud and that changing OSAP to mostly loans was essential due to the program's "unsustainability," reaching $4.1 billion per year. The government argues that the previous OSAP framework was no longer sustainable and that low-income Ontario students are being supported under the new system. The Ford government also asserts that its tuition framework is one of the lowest increases in the country.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles expressed solidarity with the protesting students, condemning the Ford government for its attacks on students throughout the year. She called on the Premier to provide immediate relief to students in need of financial assistance, but her plea was met with silence from Ford.