Most OSAP growth came from career college students, documents show - BERITAJA

When Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s authorities drastically trim student assistance grants earlier this year, it cited “unsustainable” costs, but caller figures show about each of the caller maturation was among profession assemblage students.

Data obtained by BERITAJA done a freedom-of-information petition shows that betwixt the 2023-24 and 2024-25 world years, the state spent $465 cardinal much connected Ontario Student Assistance Program grants, and 95 per cent of that went to backstage profession assemblage students.

That points to a problem of the government’s ain making and the solution did not person to penalize students astatine universities and publically funded colleges, guidance critics said.

“Doug Ford utilized the rising costs of OSAP arsenic his excuse to gut student aid, slashing the assistance information from 85 per cent down to 25 per cent and leaving students to return connected much debt,” Liberal professional for colleges and universities Tyler Watt wrote successful a statement.

“These numbers show that excuse doesn’t clasp up.”

When students use for Ontario financial assistance they are besides assessed for national assistance, and the caller information shows that while wide some the Ontario and national portions of what students person been receiving are connected the rise, 1 class stands out.

University students received about $370 cardinal successful Ontario Student Grants successful 2023-24, an magnitude that really decreased the pursuing twelvemonth to about $354 million. Students astatine publically funded colleges received $349 cardinal successful 2023-24 and $386 cardinal the adjacent year. Canada Student Grants roseate astatine comparatively akin paces.

Career assemblage students, however, received about $554 cardinal successful Ontario Student Grants successful 2023-24, and the pursuing twelvemonth they received about $994 million.

That is much than the magnitude of Ontario Students Grants for nationalist assemblage and assemblage students combined.

During the aforesaid clip period, the magnitude of Canada Student Grants those aforesaid students received was acold lower, and was a smaller comparative increase, from $201 cardinal successful 2023-24 to $338 cardinal the adjacent year.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said pinch about of the summation coming successful profession assemblage usage, it looks for illustration the authorities was conscionable looking for an excuse to trim each OSAP spending.

“I deliberation they were unwilling to only make cuts that impacted their friends astatine the backstage profession colleges,” she said.

“It conscionable shows maine that they ne'er really explored options that would person saved the program, and it’s students that are going to salary the price.”

When Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s authorities drastically trim student assistance grants earlier this year, it cited “unsustainable” costs, but caller figures show about each of the caller maturation was among profession assemblage students.

Data obtained by BERITAJA done a freedom-of-information petition shows that betwixt the 2023-24 and 2024-25 world years, the state spent $465 cardinal much connected Ontario Student Assistance Program grants, and 95 per cent of that went to backstage profession assemblage students.

That points to a problem of the government’s ain making and the solution did not person to penalize students astatine universities and publically funded colleges, guidance critics said.

“Doug Ford utilized the rising costs of OSAP arsenic his excuse to gut student aid, slashing the assistance information from 85 per cent down to 25 per cent and leaving students to return connected much debt,” Liberal professional for colleges and universities Tyler Watt wrote successful a statement.

“These numbers show that excuse doesn’t clasp up.”

When students use for Ontario financial assistance they are besides assessed for national assistance, and the caller information shows that while wide some the Ontario and national portions of what students person been receiving are connected the rise, 1 class stands out.

University students received about $370 cardinal successful Ontario Student Grants successful 2023-24, an magnitude that really decreased the pursuing twelvemonth to about $354 million. Students astatine publically funded colleges received $349 cardinal successful 2023-24 and $386 cardinal the adjacent year. Canada Student Grants roseate astatine comparatively akin paces.

Career assemblage students, however, received about $554 cardinal successful Ontario Student Grants successful 2023-24, and the pursuing twelvemonth they received about $994 million.

That is much than the magnitude of Ontario Students Grants for nationalist assemblage and assemblage students combined.

During the aforesaid clip period, the magnitude of Canada Student Grants those aforesaid students received was acold lower, and was a smaller comparative increase, from $201 cardinal successful 2023-24 to $338 cardinal the adjacent year.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said pinch about of the summation coming successful profession assemblage usage, it looks for illustration the authorities was conscionable looking for an excuse to trim each OSAP spending.

“I deliberation they were unwilling to only make cuts that impacted their friends astatine the backstage profession colleges,” she said.

“It conscionable shows maine that they ne'er really explored options that would person saved the program, and it’s students that are going to salary the price.”