Overview
- Students gathered in Toronto and staged walkouts in Waterloo after the province set OSAP to shift to a loan‑heavy model starting this fall.
- The change lowers grants from roughly 85% of OSAP to a maximum 25%, with loans making up at least 75% of provincial awards.
- The Ford government also ended a years‑long tuition freeze, allowing colleges and universities to raise fees by up to two per cent annually.
- Premier Doug Ford and the ministry defend the moves as protecting program finances and deterring misuse, citing 862 potential fraud probes in 2024 and 902 in 2025.
- Experts say the overhaul targets only the provincial share—about 40% of total OSAP funding—and note students are awaiting updated aid estimates this spring.