A Toronto mayoral candidate is proposing a $100-million education program that would give 10,000 students $10,000 each, saying young people shouldn’t have to choose between paying their rent and pursuing the career they want.
Toronto resident Cory Deville, 37, says that while the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a provincial program, he has a plan to supplement it if elected mayor.
In an interview with Now Toronto, Deville said that under the proposal, students who are Canadian citizens, from lower-income households, and attending a Toronto college or university would be eligible for the funding.
The candidate said the idea comes from a broader belief that investing in students now will benefit Toronto and Ontario in the future.
“If we fail to invest in our youth today, we will ultimately hurt ourselves in the future,” Deville said, arguing that failing to support students could leave the province with fewer technical experts and force Ontario to “outsource our brilliance,” which he argued would cost more in the long run.
“You should not have to choose between paying your rent and becoming a doctor“
For Deville, the proposal is about more than helping students pay for school. He said financial pressures can force lower-income students to make choices between their basic needs and their education.
“If you exist within X and Y economic thresholds, uniquely on the bottom strata, you should not have to choose between paying your rent and becoming a doctor, or paying your rent and becoming a nurse,” he said.
He explained that the initial proposal would provide 10,000 students with $10,000 scholarships, adding that the program could be funded within Toronto’s existing operational budget. The 2026 approved budget is approximately $18.9 billion.
Deville says that allocating a portion of that $18.8 billion toward education would be possible. His proposed program would require approximately $100 million annually if all 10,000 awards were distributed at the full $10,000 amount.
“I would pose this question to the city: Is education worth at least one per cent of our time and energy?” Deville said, adding that one per cent of that budget amounts to around $190 million.
Deville wants Toronto to become an innovation leader
The scholarship proposal is part of Deville’s broader vision of making Toronto and Ontario more focused on education and innovation.
He said supporting students could help build the skilled workforce the city will need, while also giving young people greater economic opportunity.
“It also allows us to be an innovation leader,” he said.
Deville has also been involved in provincial politics since 2022, when he said he began scaling Fair Equity Ontario, a newly founded provincial party.
He argues that many of the major issues affecting students, such as housing, employment and education, involve provincial jurisdiction. And while he’s not looking to replace those provincial duties, he believes a Toronto mayor can still play a role in advocating for residents and using the city’s resources to address local challenges.
His campaign’s broader priorities are cost of living, safety and economic opportunity, with rental affordability positioned as a central issue. But when it comes to his education proposal, Deville says the goal is ultimately straightforward: students shouldn’t have to sacrifice their futures because they can’t afford their present.
Deville joins 45 other candidates in the race, including incumbent mayor Oliva Chow, councillor Brad Bradford, former MP under Stephen Harper, Chris Alexander, and former candidate Edward Gong. Torontonians will head to the polls to cast their ballot on Oct. 26.
