What to know
- A petition opposing provincial changes to OSAP, including major cuts to non-repayable grants and the end of a seven-year tuition freeze, has surpassed 8,400 signatures.
- Starting this fall, OSAP grants will drop from covering up to 85 per cent of costs to a maximum of 25 per cent, while colleges and universities can raise tuition by up to two per cent annually for three years.
- Petition creator Jahtavia Vass, a single mother pursuing a social work degree, says the shift from grants to loans will force students to choose between education and basic living expenses.
- Premier Doug Ford defended the changes, encouraging students to pursue in-demand fields, as critics plan a March 4 rally at Queen’s Park.
A petition urging the provincial government to reverse recent changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) has garnered more than 8,000 signatures, as criticism of the reforms continues to grow.
The petition was launched after the government ended its seven-year tuition freeze and announced significant reductions to non-repayable OSAP grants this month. Beginning this fall, grants for eligible students will drop from covering up to 85 per cent of costs to a maximum of 25 per cent.
At the same time, public colleges and universities across Ontario will be permitted to increase tuition by up to two per cent annually for the next three years.
Read More
As of publication, 8,468 people had signed the petition, created by Jahtavia Vass, a single mother of two pursuing a degree in Social Work. Supporters are calling on the province to reverse course.
“Tuition in Ontario averages over $7,200 per year, and that does not include books, childcare, transportation, and basic living expenses,” Vass wrote in the petition. “As a single-income household supporting two children, every dollar is already stretched thin. Groceries. Rent. Clothing. School supplies. There is no extra cushion.”
@nowtoronto Students are calling out Premier Doug Ford for having not graduated post secondary following his recent OSAP cuts. #ontario ♬ original sound – Now Toronto
Vass says the shift away from grants toward loans will force students like her to make difficult choices that could affect both their education and their families’ well-being.
“I am willing to work hard, I always have, but I should not have to choose between feeding my children and pursuing the education that will allow me to provide them a better life,” she said.
Vass, who identifies as both Black and Indigenous, argues the cuts risk deepening systemic inequities and creating further barriers for marginalized students.
The petition calls on the province to increase non-repayable OSAP grants, reduce and cap tuition fees, and ensure equitable access to post-secondary education for low-income, Black, Indigenous and other students facing financial barriers.
“Education should not be a privilege. It should not be reserved for those born into financial security,” Vass wrote. “It should be a right, accessible, affordable and protected. My children are watching. So are countless other families walking this same difficult road.”
Tensions surrounding the changes intensified after Premier Doug Ford weighed in on the controversy, urging students to avoid what he described as “basket-weaving courses” and instead pursue careers in the skilled trades, health care and other sectors “in demand.”
Ford also claimed he had heard “nightmare stories” of students purchasing luxury items while receiving assistance, and of families earning $200,000 accessing OSAP.
“That doesn’t fly with the taxpayers,” he said.
A rally opposing the OSAP changes is scheduled for March 4 at Queen’s Park.
