Kingston Students Rally Against OSAP Funding Cuts

[ad_1]This section is PresentedThis section was produced by the editorial department. The client was not given the opportunity to put restrictions on the content or review it prior to publication.by HAVEN HOME HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING“Students want to be able to afford education and university and costs of living and we really can't if Doug Ford cuts our OSAP," said Alalea Tokonitz, a grade 11 student from LCVI. Published Mar 12, 2026 • Last updated 2 days ago • 3 minute readAzalea Tokonitz, a grade 10 student from LCVI, leads the walkout on Mar. 12, 2026. The students are protesting against the OSAP cutbacks. Photo by Maegen Kulchar /The Kingston Whig-StandardArticle contentSecondary students from LCVI and Kingston Secondary School took to the streets Thursday to protest Premier Doug Ford’s decision to reduce grant amounts from the Ontario Student Assistant Program (OSAP) starting this fall as well as lift the province’s tuition freeze. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERSSubscribe now to read the latest news in your community.Unlimited online access to all articles on thewhig. com. Access to subscriber-only content, including History: As We Saw It, a weekly newsletter that rips history from our archives, which span almost 190 years. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalism and the next generation of journalists.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your community.Unlimited online access to all articles on thewhig. com. Access to subscriber-only content, including History: As We Saw It, a weekly newsletter that rips history from our archives, which span almost 190 years. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalism and the next generation of journalists.Create an account or sign in to keep reading.Access more articles from thewhig. com. Get email updates from your favourite journalists...Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authorsor Article content The move would set back many students who use grants for their education. Now that extra funding has been cut back, students in Kingston and beyond have been voicing their concerns. Article content Article contentThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.The group planned a walkout at noon on Thursday when they left their classrooms and headed out of school toward Princess Street and Bath Road. They chanted slogans while holding signs saying things like “we cannot a-Ford this”, “education is a right, not a transaction,” and “education should not be a debt sentence,” among others.A leading voice in Kingston was Azalea Tokonitz, a Grade 10 student at Loyalist Collegiate Vocational Institute."Students want to be able to afford education and university and costs of living and we really can’t if Doug Ford cuts our OSAP. It’s barely affordable for us already just going into higher education as it is; it's only getting tougher with these funding cuts," said Tokonitz who aims to become a lawyer someday.The Kingston Whig-Standard's Noon News RoundupYour weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.!A welcome email is coming soon. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next edition of The Kingston Whig-Standard's Noon News Roundup will be landing in your inbox shortly.We ran into an issue while trying to sign you up. Please try againArticle contentThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article contentWithout this financial support, Tokonitz stated that it would affect their right to pursue post-secondary education."We’re hoping that with us and over 150 other schools in Ontario walking out for those students who simply want funds through OSAP or other means will prompt Doug Ford to rethink these harmful policies,” added Tokonitz.Students marching from LCVI towards Princess Street and Bath Road protesting against OSAP cutbacks on Mar. 12, 2026. Photo by Maegen Kulchar /The Kingston Whig-StandardAround her were fellow protesters including Grade 11 student Simone Scala-Conley who voiced her opinion saying "I believe everyone has the right to higher education, and I don’t think that opportunity should just belong to people who can afford it." Scala-Conley also plans on attending university but disagrees with how quickly Doug Ford made these changes.At Princess Street and Bath Road intersection, students continued demonstrating while supporters honked their horns passing by.This advertisement hasn’t loaded yet,but your article goes on below.Article ContentWalking along Concession Street were students from Kingston Secondary School also showing opposition as they approached the intersection.Grade 12 student Victor Stratton shared his concern since he plans to enroll in university next fall but worries these cuts will create more problems down the line for him. “With these OSAP cuts, that means triple the debt I’m going to have to pay off over probably 10 or even 20 years, and that's going be one major part of my life - paying back loans,” said Stratton who's considering pursuing six years studying music along with teaching.A crowd of high schoolers gather at Princess Street and Bath Road corner during their protest on March 12th ,2026. Photo by Maegen Kulchar /The Kingston Whig-StandardUnder current rules, students can get up to about 85 percent of provincial funding for post-secondary schooling via grants that don’t need repayment. This ad hasn’t loaded yet,but there’s more coming after this.Now, the proposal suggests shifting those numbers so only about 25 percent comes as grants while 75 percent would come through loans needing repayment. “This added burden comes last-minute after so many had financial plans based around existing guidelines. It messes with people’s educational choices - like whether they’ll go into college or not,” mentioned Stratton adding some friends had applied or been accepted already. The province defends its decisions regarding OSAP stating that its current setup isn't viable long-term. "In order protect Ontario as we move forward, it’s vital we maintain a strong workforce prepared for future needs.” Nolan Quinn stated Minister responsible for Colleges/Universities Research Excellence & Security assured press statements."These changes involve $6.4 billion new investment aimed towards maintaining sustainable colleges/universities therefore ensuring graduates develop necessary skills required hence providing rewarding careers -all while keeping accessible learning options available." Protestors remain determined urging Ford reconsider decisions made affecting future generations accessing further studies opportunities. Grade nine participant Abagail Dumouchel expressed her concerns saying,"We won’t get quality educations without sufficient funds backing them up; it's definitely making things much harder.”Share this article in your social network[ad_2]Source link

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