Premier Doug Ford said there will be “zero tolerance” for any fraud in the OSAP system — but that he feels sorry for students at private career colleges caught up in the temporary ban on student aid.
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he → say → aid
Questions about the government’s handling of the student aid controversy dominated the first day back at the legislature after a 21-week break, with opposition critics asking the government why it didn’t act sooner, and why students at all private colleges are being penalized for what, so far, is a handful of rogue institutions.
“For more than three years, this government has been shovelling hundreds of millions of OSAP grant funding to a handful of private career colleges without any oversight, monitoring or accountability,” said New Democrat MPP Peggy Sattler, her party’s post-secondary critic.
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Sattler → dominate → oversight
“That’s why OSAP costs were rising.
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costs → ’ → ?
“This government’s failure to act earlier has protected bad-actor institutions and you are attacking students instead,” she said in the legislature Tuesday.
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she → act → legislature
Earlier this month, Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn announced that his ministry notified the Ontario Provincial Police after a third-party audit uncovered irregularities in the OSAP system around a number of private career colleges, and that he was banning all career colleges from the aid system until the new year when a new, more stringent process will be rolled out.
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process → announce → year
Quinn has also permanently removed online-only programs at private colleges from OSAP eligibility.
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Quinn → remove → eligibility
The loss of access to OSAP grants, and now loans, amid fraud allegations at 8 schools is sparking fears for the future.
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loss → spark → future
The loss of access to OSAP grants, and now loans, amid fraud allegations at 8 schools is sparking fears for the future.
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loss → spark → future
He had previously changed the OSAP system that was heavy on non-repayable grants to loans, citing ballooning costs.
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that → change → costs
However, The Canadian Press later revealed that much of that increase was because of seven private career colleges, which received $385 million in 2024-25, the same amount that all public colleges received that same year.
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colleges → reveal → that
The third-party audit continues, and police say they are still reviewing the referral from ministry.
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they → continue → ministry
In the meantime, Ford said it is “heartbreaking” for students but that the government had to act on the alleged fraud.
“That’s who I feel sorry for,” the premier said when asked about those who have not received previously approved funds to pay their tuition.
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who → say → tuition
While not wanting to “paint a broad brush against all colleges — because there are really good private career colleges — but there’s some really bad, bad people and we’re auditing the system right across the board,” Ford said, adding “there will be zero tolerance for any fraud.
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Ford → want → fraud
They’re going to jail.
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They → go → jail
We’re going to hold them accountable, simple as that.”
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them → go → that
Opposition critics accused the government of ignoring the problem for years, even after an auditor report in 2021, and Career Colleges Ontario reaching out with its concerns in 2023.
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Ontario → accuse → 2023
Minister Nolan Quinn asks Ontario Provincial Police to investigate “criminal allegations.”
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Quinn → ask → allegations
Minister Nolan Quinn asks Ontario Provincial Police to investigate “criminal allegations.”
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Quinn → ask → allegations
Speaking to reporters at the legislature, Quinn said the government brought in the third-party auditor after his ministry’s own investigations, “recognizing that we saw some similarities across the inspections that we have done.”
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we → speak → that
He said he has sympathy for students, “but we have to remember these are serious criminal allegations.
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these → say → students
These are bad actors, and they’ve had to act to protect taxpayer dollars.”
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they → have → dollars
Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said “here’s the story for thousands and thousands of students receiving OSAP: They’re approved, they’re enrolled and then they’re abandoned in a period of seven weeks.”
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they → say → weeks
The province has promised it will work with financial institutions to help facilitate loans in the meantime, but no further details have been released.
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details → promise → meantime
Some of the almost 300 colleges that had been eligible for OSAP have allowed students to continue classes in the interim.
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students → allow → interim
The Aporia
