NDP, students continue to rally against OSAP changes

The opposition is not ready to give up its fight to reverse the government’s changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

The government announced earlier this month that the financial assistance program for post-secondary students would see the grant portion lowered from 85% to 25%.

Premier Ford states the current format was unsustainable.

The NDP has initiated a petition and letter-writing campaign in an effort to convince the government to reconsider.

Leader Marit Stiles says, despite the Premier indicating no plans to revert back, they will keep the heat on.

“And if he cannot see beyond the silver spoon in his own mouth, he’s going to have to start,” says Stiles.

“He made a lot of promises to the people of this province just a year ago in that election. He’s a premier who has campaigned on keeping money in people’s pockets. And he is going to literally leave . . . students across this province struggling with debt for decades.”

Students are also speaking out.

York University student Christian Turner says the changes to OSAP do nothing to invest in the future of young Ontarians.

“This decision from the Premier is incredibly ridiculous, and it serves nobody except those at the top,” says Turner.

“For students, this is a travesty, saddling them with even more debt at the provincial level, compounded with the fact that they’re having a lot of debt at the federal level.”

Adaeze Mbalaja, a York University student and Campaigns and Communications Coordinator for the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, says the province should be supporting the program.

“Students’ dreams of attending post-secondary education have been eliminated with this ministry announcement,” says Mbalaja.

“If this government truly cared about students and the sustainability of the OSAP program, it would have funded the program, not attacked it.”

Students are also expressing concern about the end of the tuition freeze.

Colleges and universities are permitted to increase rates 2%.

Stiles says the decision to revise the program adds eligibility changes to OSAP in 2019.

“Students who need financial assistance are being shut out by this government, or they’re being saddled with this huge burden of debt with interest,” says Stiles.

She sees students in a position to do so, to seek out bank loans or lines of credit to afford post-secondary education in the future.