TORONTO, June 20, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Students across the province are speaking out against the Ontario government following the release of OSAP assessments for the 2019-2020 school year.
On Wednesday, June 19 students began receiving their financial aid assessments from OSAP, which revealed far fewer grants and loans available for students than in previous years to pay for tuition and other education related expenses.
“Yesterday, thousands of students saw their dreams of attending post-secondary education shattered by this government,” said Felipe Nagata, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario. “At a time when it has never been more expensive to be a student, this government is taking precious funding away from low-income students and families who need it the most.”
Earlier this year, the Ontario government cut funding for OSAP by $670.8 million, roughly 30 per cent of overall funding. Students are not remaining silent on social media about how these cuts will force them to take on greater debt or prevent them from attending college or university next year.
“Many students are reporting receiving 40 to 80 per cent less OSAP funding than in previous years,” said Nagata. “Because of this, some students are actually unable to pay for the cost of their education. How can the Premier say Ontario is open for business when our future workforce is finding it impossible to get the education they need?”
The Canadian Federation of Students is the largest post-secondary student organization in the country, representing more than 500,000 students nationally and more than 350,000 students provincially. The Federation advocates for universal, tuition-free, public post-secondary education.
For more information contact:
Ian McRae, Government Relations and Policy Coordinator: 416-925-3825 or 306-852-0128
Felipe Nagata, Chairperson: 416-925-3825