Don’t target all students for possible OSAP misuse at some schools, association says

TORONTO — Career colleges and their students are reeling from the government’s decision to pause their student financial aid payments in response to what the minister in charge describes as possible criminal activity at some schools.

The association representing career colleges is urging the provincial government to reinstate Ontario Student Assistance Program loans for career college students who were already approved for funds and are actively attending in-person classes.

“(Career Colleges Ontario) supports the government’s efforts to investigate potential OSAP misuse and take action where concerns are identified,” spokesperson Taylor Buck wrote in a statement.

“The integrity of the student assistance system must be protected, but students who enrolled in good faith and are attending legitimate programs must be protected too.”

Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn announced Tuesday that the province has asked provincial police to look into the issue after auditors identified “serious concerns” about possible criminal activity and “egregious” use of public money. The OPP said Wednesday it was reviewing the information.

The government had also asked KPMG in August to begin an audit, and while that work is ongoing, OSAP payments will not go out for all career college students, Quinn said.

Career Colleges Ontario is asking the government for clarity on when the pause may be lifted and the criteria schools will have to meet to regain OSAP. In the meantime, Buck wrote, the province should be looking to ensure public funds are protected without penalizing the whole sector.

“Targeted action can address potential misuse without disrupting the education of students who have followed the rules and relied on funding that had already been approved,” Buck wrote.

A spokesperson for Quinn said there is evidence the issues are of a more systemic nature and not limited to a few schools.

“At this time, we do not have assurances from the audit team that the issues are not more widespread,” Bianca Giacoboni wrote. “That is why we have taken a system-wide approach and paused OSAP funding while the investigations continue.”

Daliah Gardoque, a dental hygienist student at the Toronto College of Dental Hygiene and Auxiliaries, said if OSAP funds aren’t released soon she will have to borrow money from family members, but not everyone has even that backup plan.

“They could have done these audits way prior … and still continue to slowly grandfather in proper private colleges like ours,” Gardoque said.

Quinn also said that a lot of the concerns have centred on online-only programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the province temporarily extended OSAP eligibility to students in online-only programs, then later made it permanent.

This fall, the government will introduce legislation to make online-only programs at private career colleges ineligible again for OSAP, Quinn said.

Caitlin Parker, a health information management student at triOS College, is enrolled in an online-only program and said the government should distinguish between the asynchronous and synchronous online learning.

Parker’s program requires students to attend virtual classes at scheduled times, on camera, which she did even after giving birth three weeks ago, she said.

In addition to tuition, OSAP can cover essential living expenses while students are in school, and Parker – a mom of six – said she doesn’t know if she can afford to stay in school without that funding.

“I truly feel like the government knew that this was their plan way back in August before our second year started even, and those of us that were relying on that money for day-to-day stuff are now stuck in limbo,” she said.

“TriOS is offering payment plans, but without income I can’t commit to a payment plan.”

Michele Lupa, the executive director of early childhood education career college Mothercraft, said they also offer synchronous, online programs and would hope not to be affected by an eventual bar to OSAP eligibility.

“Online learning is a legitimate modality for post-secondary education, whether it’s in a public institution or a private institution,” she said. “How it gets delivered online is critical to the learning experience.”

Lupa said the school, which has been operating for decades, is very concerned about what Quinn’s announcements will mean for them.

“We really don’t have a lot of detail, and so people are concerned, anxious, worried what this could mean for the continuation of their studies,” she said.

“It’s an added stress that (students) really don’t need. And then the other thing I would say is our faculty have questions. Our staff have questions. What does this mean for the continuation of the program, if anything?”

Quinn earlier this year drastically reduced the amount of OSAP grants that students at universities and publicly funded colleges could receive, while restricting career college students to OSAP loans.

He cited “unsustainable” costs, but a freedom-of-information request by The Canadian Press showed that 95 per cent of the year-over-year growth in 2024-25 was due to career colleges.

A subsequent freedom-of-information request by The Canadian Press showed that most of that growth was concentrated among a small number of schools. Just seven career colleges accounted for about $385 million in OSAP grants in 2024-25, the same amount that went to students at all of Ontario’s publicly funded colleges.

Court records show that Career Colleges Ontario has been warning the province about possible “suspicious” OSAP activity for years, dating back to January 2023.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 7, 2026.

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press