Student aid is key to a post-secondary education for the majority of today’s students without the additional worry of being saddled with debt. In February, the provincial government announced that the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) will be restructured. While the previous model provided students with up to 85 per cent of funding in grants and the balance in loans, the new system flips the script — with students receiving 25 per cent as non-repayable grants, and the remaining 75 per cent as loans.
This shift from grants to loans will see students of low-income families being left out to receive a higher education. A further impact — job shortages will worsen because students were priced out of higher education and the specialized programs they offer. Here in Ottawa, the recent cancellation of programs by Algonquin College will force students to seek education in other cities where they will have the additional debt of rent, living expenses and school expenses.
Bianca Giacoboni, spokesperson for the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Securities, said the “government is aligning its framework with other provinces due to an increase in demand that put “billions of dollars of pressure” on OSAP”.
Included as part of the announcement, Ontario colleges and universities will be receiving $6.4 billion in funding over the next four years and can raise tuition fees by two per cent annually for the next three years.
With the wave of provincewide protests against the OSAP changes, students from South Carleton High School will be adding their voice and walking out on Wednesday, March 11th at noon with a gathering to be held at the Richmond Memorial Park at the intersection of McBean and Perth Streets in Richmond. Please come to support the students.
Student leader of the Ottawa Carleton District School Board, Joshua Leeman, shared, “our main demands from this walkout align with those of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, and they are: Restore the level of grant to the previous level of 85% and, offer interest-free loans, stop the tuition hikes, and support university students on halting government interference in admission, research, security plans, and student fees.”
Joshua emphasized, “Our main goal of this walkout is that we want to show that students care about their education, and although we, as High School students, cannot participate in elections, we should still get a say in our education and our future. Especially, our public education and the student welfare system should not be used as a sacrifice for the lack of fiscal responsibility of the Doug Ford conservative government. Education is an investment and not a business; profit should not be a part of evaluating the education system”.
Other OCDSB high schools will be participating in walkouts of their own at similar times: A.Y. Jackson S.S, Canterbury H.S, Glebe C.I., Merivale H.S, Nepean H.S, Sir Robert Borden H.S, and Woodroffe H.S. to name a few.
Joshua went on to share his personal thoughts, “the Fords government’s cuts to OSAP and the end of the tuition freeze are affecting students across the province’s chances of getting an education beyond high school. For me, this took away any opportunity to go to school outside of Ottawa and my brother is having to apply for OSAP next year as my family won’t be able to financially support both of us in university unassisted. Seeing these decisions being made for us high school students without any say in the matter, because we did not vote this government into power, makes it so that this protest is a way for us to collectively call this out for what it is: our government treating education like a business when it should be about our futures. Doug Ford’s comments such as “You’re picking basket-weaving courses, and there’s not too many baskets being sold out there.” and “I mentioned to the students, you have to invest in your future, into in-demand jobs,” only serve to antagonize students as we all know that these cuts prevent students from getting the education they need to try and build that proper future. I invite anybody else who feels the same to join us at 12:00pm Wednesday March 11th at Richmond Memorial Park where our school’s walk-out will be held!”
In a press release, Official Opposition Leader Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP stated that they will force a vote to reverse Doug Ford’s OSAP cuts when the Ontario Legislature returns on March 23rd, calling on the Premier to save a generation of students from crushing debt. “Doug Ford’s OSAP cuts come at a time when life has never been more unaffordable,” said Stiles.
Joshua reached out this week to Carleton MPP, George Darouze, but did not receive a response, only an automated email.
It is hoped that the government reverses the OSAP changes and moves forward in consultations that would include input from young people.