QUEEN’S PARK – MPP Peggy Sattler (London West), Shadow Minister for Colleges, Universities, Research Excellent and Security released a statement following the government’s decision to pause OSAP payments to private career colleges:
“This government originally blamed students for their decision to cut OSAP support, but today they’ve finally admitted to the truth: the government grossly mismanaged the system and is punishing every student in Ontario for their incompetence.
“After ignoring warnings from the Auditor General in 2021, and repeated red flags from Career Colleges Ontario, this Minister’s failure to act is having dire consequences for Ontario career college students. They applied in good faith for OSAP, were approved for OSAP, and paid tuition believing that OSAP would be coming. Many of these students left their jobs to go back to school, now they are facing eviction because they can’t pay their rent or mortgage.
“The government’s failure to properly manage OSAP should not fall on the backs of students. By Minister Quinn referring this scandal to the Ontario Provincial Police, the Minister is admitting that his ministry is calling the cops on their own mismanagement.
“Students are exhausted from having delayed OSAP payments, cuts to their support, and having to take on additional debt to fund their future. These newest changes are further leaving students caught in the middle, with no certainty or information about what comes next. When will the government finally take responsibility for their own mismanagement and stop punishing students?”