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TORONTO — In addition to freezing Ontario Student Assistance Program payments to all private post-secondary institutions, the province has paused at least some funding through Better Jobs Ontario, which helps unemployed people get skills training.
But the government won’t explicitly say so.
There has been no public communication from the government about the status of the program that aims to get people off social assistance and into the workforce, but people who were depending on the program and the institutions that were set to train them are taking note.
Reece Daniel was hoping to begin an HVAC program in London, Ont., on Oct. 19. The government had initially scheduled a meeting for Oct. 13 to give him information about the funding agreement, but a few days before that they cancelled and said applications were under review.
The next intake for the HVAC program is in May 2027.
“This course was something that was going to get me jumped back on my feet,” Daniel said.
“I’m still probably going to be presented with the opportunity to go to school next year, but the significant delays … waiting for so long, putting off work for so long, it’s a little bit disappointing and frustrating.”
Pathways Employment Help Centre had been assisting Daniel in his application, and is seeing other clients experiencing the same delays and uncertainty with their Better Jobs Ontario funding decisions, the CEO said.
“Despite our agency’s repeated efforts to obtain clarification, the absence of a definitive decision prevented Reece and other clients from proceeding with their planned training as scheduled,” Ben Cecil said.
Career Colleges Ontario said the association has heard from member schools that Better Jobs Ontario funding for students at career colleges has been paused, but it has not received any formal communication from the government.
“We are concerned about any disruption to funding for students attending compliant institutions,” it wrote in a statement.
“As with OSAP, we are urging the government to restore access to funding for students attending institutions where there are no identified compliance concerns. We continue to advocate for a targeted approach that allows students to access the support they need while maintaining strong accountability across the sector.”
Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn announced earlier this month that OSAP payments are paused for students at all private post-secondary institutions, after preliminary audit findings raised serious concerns about financial aid usage at some career colleges.
Trillium College has suspended classes due to the OSAP pause, and wrote in a letter to students that it is a temporary measure due to the uncertainty caused by that freeze and “the separate funding interruption affecting Better Jobs Ontario-funded students at Trillium College.”
When asked recently if Better Jobs Ontario funding was also paused, Quinn’s spokesperson said little.
“Preliminary audit findings point to serious, systemic concerns about OSAP usage at private postsecondary institutions,” Bianca Giacoboni wrote.
“OSAP payments to students at these institutions are paused, and other streams of provincial funding to private institutions past and present are under review.”
Giacoboni refused to list those other streams of funding.
Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said if the government is taking action against another source of funding they should come out and say it.
“It’s happening,” he said. “They know it’s happening and I don’t know why they’re afraid to say it.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2026.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press
