Brampton students rally at City Hall to protest Doug Ford’s OSAP cuts

As the cost of living continues to move out of reach for more and more young people across Ontario, Doug Ford decided to make life even more difficult for students who need assistance with their post-secondary education costs.

Students from three Peel high schools gathered outside Brampton City Hall last week to protest the PC government’s funding changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

Holding placards with the words “Save OSAP” and “Fund Ontario Education”, students from Turner Fenton Secondary School, Central Peel Secondary School and Cardinal Leger Secondary School participated in the rally, urging the provincial government to reverse its decision to cut OSAP funding.

“I am from a low-income household, so it would severely affect my family and me financially,” said Osahon Dube, an organizer of the student walkout. "We are relying on OSAP…We were expecting the OSAP to cover the lion’s share of my education.”

Dube, a Grade-12 student at Turner Fenton, wants to work in animation, and Ontario has some of the best programs in North America, but the policy shift by the PCs is forcing him to reconsider his future.

“Right now, it's looking kind of bleak because of the unaffordability and all. We would like them to take into consideration the lower and middle-income families who can’t afford college or university."

Under the new policy the amount students can receive as grants was drastically cut, from 85 percent to 25 percent, while a minimum of 75 percent now has to come from loans. 

Students in private career colleges will no longer be able to get OSAP grants.

The PCs are blaming the funding problems on the recent cuts to international students, imposed by Ottawa, after post-secondary institutions across Ontario, and other provinces, turned to foreign tuition as a cash cow to make up for the lack of funding provided by the PCs and other provincial governments. 

The decision to cut OSAP funding was made on February 12, prompting students across Ontario to hold protests and call on the Ford government to reverse its decision.

While responding to the “Save OSAP” campaign led by students across the province, Ford backed his decision.

“What we were doing was unsustainable,” he told reporters last month. “We're paying for everyone’s education, the only place in North America that’s doing that.”

He said a 25 percent grant would still protect the “most vulnerable” students while ensuring public spending leads to education to fill in-demand jobs.

“Taxpayers are the ones paying for this, not me,” Ford said, claiming "there are a lot of courses that don’t drive economic growth.” 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded to a question last month regarding OSAP funding changes, calling the previous model "unsustainable."

(Government of Ontario)

Maria Quecano, a Grade-11 student who plans to pursue kinesiology after high school, said the funding changes will have long-term consequences.

“I am definitely going to be in a lot more debt for the future, and it is going to hinder which programs I apply for, depending on the tuition,” she said. “That's a big issue for a lot of low-income families who don’t know when their next paycheck is. It is pretty crushing to big dreams.”

Maria Quecano, a Grade 11 student who plans to pursue kinesiology, spoke with The Pointer at the Brampton student rally on March 12.

(Alexis Wright/The Pointer)

Quecano called Ford’s decision “upsetting,” and urged the government to reconsider.

“Nobody wants to be in debt in the future. And nowadays, it’s really hard for young people to find a job straight out of university.” 

Ananyya Tangirala said she was considering OSAP as a backup plan for years.

“It was so sudden and quick. It just happened out of nowhere, which is exactly why it affected us so much. I didn’t really know how to react. I think my friends and I were in denial because we did not know how to pay the rest of this money.”

Tangirala, who is a Grade-11 student at Turner Fenton, said the province needs to be more transparent.

“I feel like they should not have made it so drastic and fast. If you want this change to happen, you (the province) have to first look at student voices because, after all, it’s affecting them the most.”

Ananyya Tangirala, a Grade-11 student at Turner Fenton in Brampton, said the Doug Ford PC government needs to be transparent about changes related to OSAP.

(Muhammad Hamza/The Pointer)

High School student Eden Vandewiel decided to voice her concerns at the rally. 

“I think the government needs to consider that children in high schools are the future of the country.”

High School student Eden Vandewiel attended last week’s OSAP rally at Brampton City Hall.

(Muhammad Hamza/The Pointer)

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner accused Premier Ford of shifting blame for his failure to properly fund colleges and universities, forcing young people to shoulder the burden of failed leadership.

"I'm calling on the premier to reverse the cuts, and let's move to 100 percent grants so young people can graduate from university or college without any debt," he said in an Instagram post.

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