The future of OSAP: It’s up to us students
Are cuts coming that could kill the post-secondary dream for thousands?
On Feb. 26, 2016, the Ontario government announced it would be expanding and streamlining the Ontario Student Assistance Program and providing free tuition for 250,000 students pursuing post-secondary education. On that day, for the first time in my life, I realized that I could actually pursue my dreams and go to university.
The revised program is now in its second year, and from what I can tell, it’s changed lives. Thousands of students, including myself, no longer have to worry about being burdened with crushing debt after we graduate. Paying for post-secondary education may still be difficult, but for many, it’s not impossibly inaccessible anymore. This revolutionary policy has provided a future for myself and my peers, and that’s precisely why we’re worried about the habits of the current Government of Ontario, and what they might do.
Doug Ford’s government has cut or rolled back many of the policies Ontarians were proud of, including the basic-income pilot, the $15 minimum wage, the 2015 Health and Physical Education Curriculum, and more. The PC Party has stated time and again that it’s goal is to restore trust in Ontario’s finances and deal with the $15-billion deficit. Whether or not that number is true is another story, but the deficit’s been their justification for cutting these crucial programs.
On Oct. 23, 2018, the provincial government announced it was cutting funding for three planned satellite campuses in the GTA. Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, said in a statement “our government committed to restore accountability and trust in Ontario’s finances. This includes making difficult decisions about projects across the province.” Fullerton then evaded pointed questions when asked about the future of the free tuition program and emphasized the government’s concerns about the deficit.
She did eventually speak on OSAP, however. On Dec. 5, 2018, Ontario auditor general Bonnie Lysyk released her annual report, including a
scathing critique of the free tuition program. Lysyk criticized the program for costing more than initially expected and not creating a significant increase in enrolment at colleges and universities across Ontario. In response to the report, Fullerton said in a statement to the Star that “our government will examine how to restore the financial sustainability of OSAP, so the program is efficient, cost-effective and helps the students who need it the most.”
Individual responses from MPPs have not been reassuring, either. A friend of mine concerned about OSAP’s future wrote an email to her MPP in Oakville-North Burlington, Effie Triantafilopoulos. Triantafilopoulos responded, in part, by saying “when we took office, we were left a $15 billion debt by the previous government and we must make our spending decisions responsibly. We will work with the post-secondary sector and students to ensure that our colleges and universities can continue to deliver world class education in an efficient and cost-effective manner.”
My own efforts have been met with similar answers. In a phone call to my MPP, I stressed how important OSAP was for myself and many of my peers, and encouraged her to vote against any legislation that would cut the program. She thanked me for reaching out to her with my concerns, emphasized that the government is trying to fix the deficit, but said that she would consider what I said when
she votes on relevant legislation. Which, in all honesty, has been the best response so far.
Look, students are worried. I’m worried. Can you blame us? In our society, you need post-secondary education to land a good-paying job. For many of us, this program is what’s allowing us to access postsecondary, and you don’t need a degree to see that cuts are going to be made. With over three years left in their mandate, it’s only a matter of when. So faced against a majority government hell-bent on jeopardizing our futures, what can we do? Well, a lot actually.
Nothing’s been announced yet, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t do something. Contact your local MPP, Dr. Fullerton and Premier Ford; let them know that this program matters: to you, your child, your relative, or your friend. Let them know how important it is to keep post-secondary accessible for low-income students. Tell people you know to contact them too. If you’re interested or need some help, join the Facebook Group “Students For Ontario” — we’re a grassroots group of students working to keep the free tuition program. Nothing’s been announced yet, but in this day and age, in this province, you can’t take anything for granted.