As a Guelph resident, Wilfrid Laurier University student commuting from home, and someone who values traditional conservative principles: fiscal prudence, respect for institutions, genuine personal responsibility, and opposition to government dictating life choices. I’m deeply concerned about the Ford government’s recent changes.

Ending the tuition freeze allows up to 2% annual hikes, while slashing OSAP from ~85% grants/15% loans to just 25% grants/75% loans, and bailing out universities with $6.4 billion. After years of underfunding created this crisis, shifting the burden to students is intergenerational theft, not conservatism.

Premier Ford’s response—lecturing students to abandon non-STEM/trades/healthcare programs and dismissing others as “basket-weaving” is central planning, not conservatism. True conservatives trust individuals and families to choose their vocations; liberal arts and humanities build thoughtful citizens and leaders.

Higher debt amid a housing and cost-of-living crisis undermines real responsibility—it creates barriers, then blames young people. A solid chunk of students at Laurier, Guelph, and across Ontario plan to move after graduation to other southern Ontario cities (Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo) or elsewhere in Canada for opportunities and independence. These changes force many to delay relocation, stay with family longer, or take lower paying local jobs to manage loans, entrapment by design. Those staying in their hometowns long-term may feel less immediate impact, but for those seeking broader prospects, it’s a real barrier.

I call on the Ontario government to:

Immediately reverse OSAP changes and restore a balanced grant/loan mix (at least 50–85% grants).
Reinstate or maintain a tuition freeze/caps below inflation.
Tie any new funding to university accountability: cut administrative bloat first.
Stop dictating “worthy” career paths, defend diverse education.
Sign to tell MPPs and Premier Ford: Ontario’s young people deserve fiscal responsibility, real opportunity, and freedom to choose, not blame-shifting and debt traps.

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