Ontario students brace for ‘vast amount’ of debt amid OSAP changes, tuition increases
The province cut non-repayable grants from 85% to 25% and will allow tuition increases of up to 2% a year.
- As of Aug. 1, Premier Doug Ford's government reduced non-repayable Ontario Student Assistance Program grants from 85 per cent to 25 per cent while lifting a seven-year tuition freeze, allowing colleges and universities to raise fees by up to two per cent annually for three years.
- Citing "unsustainable" costs, Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn's spokesperson Bianca Giacoboni stated that OSAP spending ballooned to $2.7 billion in fiscal 2025-26 and was projected to reach $4.1 billion by 2028-29.
- Aidan Jeffers, an incoming University of Toronto master's student, said he is "incurring a vast amount more debt" than during his undergraduate years, receiving around $19,500 this year with $12,000 directed toward tuition.
- Representing about 160,000 students, Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance president Rory Norris argued the province must modernize the loan repayment model, including removing interest charges to mitigate high debt loads.
- Statistics Canada data indicates that 50 per cent of university graduates held more than $25,000 in debt in 2020, while a recent alliance report found bachelor's degree holders in Ontario face a nearly 12 per cent unemployment rate.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Students brace for debt, reconsider studies as OSAP cuts take effect
Students in Ontario are struggling to make ends meet and plan for the future as OSAP cuts take effect. Earlier this year, Premier Doug Ford's government announced it would sharply cut student assistance grants, citing "unsustainable" costs.
Winnipeg Free Press
Ontario students brace for 'vast amount' of debt amid OSAP changes, tuition increases
As Aidan Jeffers begins his graduate studies at the University of Toronto, he says he will have to work more hours and possibly rely on food banks due to drastic changes to student financial aid in Ontario – and the resulting debt he expects to rack up.
Ontario students brace for ‘vast amount’ of debt amid OSAP changes, tuition increases – 105.9 The Region
As Aidan Jeffers begins his graduate studies at the University of Toronto, he says he will have to work more hours and possibly rely on food banks due to drastic changes to student financial aid in Ontario – and the resulting debt he expects to rack up. Jeffers said he’s been working two jobs over the summer as large student loans weigh on his mind. He also plans to work 25 or 30 hours a week during the school year. “I might have to go to the fo…
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