Cuts to OSAP Leave Waterloo Students Anxious

Cailey Davidson says she felt “really discouraged and a little blindsided” when she found out about the province’s planned cuts to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

The 26-year-old student at Wilfrid Laurier University has fibromyalgia, which makes juggling school and work tough. She says she was counting on OSAP to help her focus on her studies.

“I’ve been using grants for tuition and loans for living expenses. But with the change, I’ll have to rearrange how I’m handling my life,” she told .

Starting this fall, grants will only account for 25 percent of total financial aid, while loans will increase to 75 percent.

This is a big change from the previous setup, where students received up to 85 percent of their support as grants and only up to 15 percent as loans.

Cailey Davidson says she may have to take a year off school to work so “the burden after graduating is lessened,” after news of cuts to OSAP. (Submitted by Cailey Davidson)

Worries About Increasing Debt

Davidson and other students say these changes will add more debt and raise education costs. She fears she might have to pause her studies.

“I’ve considered taking a year off to return to the workforce in food service, just so the burden after graduating is lessened,” she said.

Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research, Excellence and Security, mentioned that the province decided on these changes due in part to wider shifts in post-secondary funding. This includes a federal decision that removed grant eligibility for students at private career colleges along with significant drops in international student enrolment.

“It was putting billions of dollars of pressure on the provincial portion of OSAP,” he said. “We wanted to ensure that OSAP is sustainable, not just for today’s students but for those who come after.”

While Davidson deals with these adjustments mid-degree, they feel even more daunting for students yet to start college.

Mabel Winter, a Grade 12 student at Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute in Guelph, plans on studying Environmental Resource Management at the University of Waterloo. She’s concerned about how her family will handle expenses since her sister also plans on going into post-secondary education soon.

“We were planning on having some grants obviously to cover both our schools,” Winter said. “All of us are going to be paying back debt.”

Mabel Winter says the changes to OSAP have left many of her fellow students at Centennial Collegiate Vocational Institute worried about their post-secondary schooling. (Submitted by Mabel Winter)

Despite worries over increased debt levels, Quinn insists that OSAP remains an essential support system for students.

“OSAP will still continue to be there for the students that need it,” he stated.

While he acknowledges that moving towards more loans means students will end up with “a modest amount of debt afterwards,” he presented it as an investment in their future careers.

“They’re looking at future labor market needs. And honestly, it’s money well spent on behalf of the student,” he added.

Quinn also pointed out that getting a post-secondary education generally leads people toward higher earnings down the line.

“It’s very clear that whether it’s a college degree or university degree, their career earnings are significantly higher,” he noted.

‘There’s Nothing We Can Do’

Winter mentioned how this change has left many classmates feeling anxious about their futures.

“Everybody’s kind of just really stressed out because I guess there is nothing we can do,” she said.

Your reaction was strong among Winter’s peers; however Jazzmin Gabriel-a 21-year-old studying journalism at Conestoga College-says things aren’t quite as intense there.

“There are lots of petitions circulating but it’s definitely not being talked about as much as I’d hoped,” she shared.Jazzmin Gabriel says changes made regarding OSAP will negatively impact her fellow students.(Submitted by Jazzmin Gabriel)

Gabriel criticized Ontario Premier Doug Ford over what she sees as shortsightedness regarding these cuts.

“[Ford] doesn’t understand how his actions affect people,” she expressed. “It’s really disappointing that during times when wages are already low we’re expected now pay back even more.”

Came from a single-income household; she’ll need scholarships if she’s going continue school.

The cuts could discourage more people from attending colleges,
[She warned](https://example. com), “Changing it so drastically is just really going be devastating.”

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