What to know
- The Ford government’s new OSAP plan means more loans, fewer grants for students.
- Tuition fees can now increase by up to 2 per cent each year for the next three years.
- The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (CFSO) is organizing a major protest at Queen’s Park this Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, high school and university students across the GTA will rally in protest of Ford’s cuts to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).
The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (CFSO) launched the “Hands off our education” rally against Ford’s cuts.
“The Ford government’s decision to open the floodgates to tuition increases AND the decimation of OSAP will destroy what’s left of education in Ontario. Enough is enough – it’s time to take to the streets and flex the true power of students in the province,” the organization said in a social media post.
Comments show strong support for the protest. One Instagram user wrote, “Let’s go—everyone: parents, community, students. This affects us all.” Another added, “Woohooo, see you all there, comrades ✊🏻.”
In the sense of the student community, another wrote, “This is only the beginning. Students are getting tired of getting the short end of the deal!”
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Students will be gathering outside Queen’s Park on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.
This protest follows Ford’s announcement regarding adjustments to funding and costs, including
- The removal of the domestic tuition freeze.
- Institutions can now raise tuition fees by up to 2 per cent each year for three years. Afterwards, fees will be adjusted for inflation.
- OSAP was modified from a grants program to a loans program, with grants capped at 25 per cent and loans at a minimum of 75 per cent.
Student groups from several postsecondary institutions, including the Student Association of George Brown College, the York Federation of Students, and the Toronto Metropolitan Students’ Union, are promoting the event on social media.
Toronto Metropolitan University will also host a banner-painting session on Monday from 3 to 6 p.m. in preparation for the protest.
Cyrielle Ngleka, Chairperson for the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, shared in a press release, “This announcement shows that the government is willing to open their purse-strings and fund Ontario’s post-secondary education system when they want to. However, the tuition fee increase and the change in OSAP allocation framework prioritizing more student loans will lead to even more student debt and financially burdening students – spoiling the funding announcement for students.”
