Students enrolled in private career colleges in Ontario say they’re dealing with financial instability after the provincial government suspended Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) payments for those attending these schools.
The province announced the freeze earlier this week, pointing to serious issues regarding how student assistance funding was being utilized in the private post-secondary sector.
However, students argue that they shouldn’t suffer due to problems they had no part in.
At Ottawa’s Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy, first-year student Ameera Kaddah says she’s struggling to find funds to keep going with her education.
“I’m thinking about the tuition like every day, like every single minute,” she said. “I’m struggling with that.”
Kaddah mentioned that she’s taken loans and is even considering selling valuable items like gold jewelry to pay her tuition fees. Even if she manages to cover this year’s costs, she’s anxious about next year.
“If I sell my gold I can pay for this year, but for the next year it will be a big problem for me,” she said.
The fashion academy on Sussex Drive, which has been training students for 50 years, is one of the institutions offering payment plans to help students continue their studies.
Owner Renée Berezowski stated that students are dedicated to their education and shouldn’t have to bear consequences for issues related to other institutions.
“Each institution is unique and we shouldn’t all be painted with same brush,” she said.
WATCH | Funding freeze leaves private career college students in limbo:
OSAP freeze leaves private career college students in limbo
Students attending private career colleges in Ontario say they’re facing financial uncertainty after the provincial government paused Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) payments for those attending the institutions. CBC Ottawa’s David Fraser has more.
At Algonquin Careers Academy where paralegals, personal support workers, pharmacy technicians and others receive their training, students gathered at a news conference Friday to express their frustration.
“I can’t pay my rent for October. I don’t know what I’m going to do for November,” said paralegal student Kaitlynn Ford through tears.
Her fellow student Tricia Tengalia shared that she and others had “literally put our lives on hold for a year” just to attend the college.
The funding freeze follows a provincial audit that raised concerns about how OSAP funding was used within the private college sector. Ontario Provincial Police are conducting their own investigation.>
Opposition politicians who joined the students at Friday’s news conference insisted that any misconduct should be looked into without risking students’ education.>
“When you only had a handful of bad actors that need to be investigated, cut it off to them – but not these ones,” said Nepean MPP Tyler Watt, who is also the Ontario Liberal critic for colleges and universities.>
Berezowski expressed that her fashion institute would welcome scrutiny from provincial authorities but wants each school evaluated individually rather than facing collective punishment. >
“It’s unfortunate that the decisions were made the way they were made,” she said.>
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