Ford Government Defends OSAP Changes as Students Weigh Strikes
Hundreds of students gathered outside Queen's Park in Toronto this week to protest significant changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), with organizers warning that provincewide student strikes could be imminent. The protests, organized by the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, came as the Progressive Conservative government defended its plan to reduce the proportion of grants available through the program.
Student Anger and Strike Threats
Arpit Nigam, a student at the Ontario College of Art & Design University and member of the Toronto youth cabinet, confirmed that discussions about student strikes are actively happening across multiple institutions. "It is an active conversation we are having," Nigam said during a news conference at the legislature. "I don't know the amount I am allowed to share, but it is something that is happening not just here at OCAD and York University. It's happening everywhere."
Some speakers at the protest predicted that high school students would join the strike actions as well. Protests against the OSAP changes have already occurred at high schools across Ontario, including a student walkout in Kingston earlier this month. "Everyone is pissed off. Absolutely everyone. Because this affects everyone," Nigam emphasized.
Government Defense of OSAP Changes
With the provincial budget just days away, cabinet ministers in Premier Doug Ford's government argued that reducing the amount of provincial grants available to students through OSAP is necessary to ensure the program's financial sustainability. Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy and Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn both insisted that the changes do not constitute cuts to the program.
"It's not a cut," Bethlenfalvy told reporters, a position echoed by Quinn who stated, "There are no cuts to OSAP. The money will continue to be there for OSAP." Quinn explained that the government is changing the grant-to-loan ratio to align with other jurisdictions across Canada, including the federal government.
Specific Changes to OSAP Structure
Currently, eligible post-secondary students in Ontario can receive up to 85 percent of their OSAP assistance as grants, which do not need to be repaid, and 15 percent as reduced-interest loans. The government plans to nearly reverse this ratio. When the changes take effect on August 1, students will receive 75 percent of their provincial assistance as loans and only 25 percent as grants.
Quinn cited a 2018 report from Ontario's auditor general that warned changes made by the previous Liberal government in 2016 to provide most student assistance as grants "cost considerably more than the province anticipated, and will likely continue to cost more in the next few years." The government maintains that the current changes are necessary for the long-term viability of the student assistance program.
The protests at Queen's Park on March 24, 2026, represent growing student discontent with the provincial government's education funding policies. As students continue to organize and threaten strike actions, the debate over OSAP's future structure remains heated, with both sides digging in their positions ahead of the upcoming provincial budget announcement.
