why this is important to me

sympathy. Something like:

I want to share why this issue is so personal to me.

I’m a low-income mom of four children, and I am solely financially responsible for supporting them. When I made the decision to go back to school, I did so after my OSAP funding had been assessed and approved. I reduced my hours from working full-time to working weekends so that I could attend classes during the week and build a better future for my family.

I planned my finances around the funding I had been approved for. I have rent, utilities, groceries and everyday expenses for four children that don’t stop because my OSAP funding has. With bills coming up and the holidays approaching, I’m now trying to figure out how I’m going to keep up when I was already struggling to make everything stretch.

Going somewhere else isn’t a realistic alternative for me either. The other colleges in my city do not offer the program I want to pursue. Attending a public college that does offer it would require me to relocate my entire family — something that simply isn’t financially or practically feasible as a mother of four.

I understand why concerns involving private career colleges need to be investigated, and I support institutions being held accountable when they fail to meet provincial standards. But students who acted in good faith shouldn’t be collateral damage in that process.

I didn’t enroll expecting special treatment. I applied for OSAP, was assessed and approved, made decisions based on that approval, and started building my family’s life around going back to school.

This is why I’m asking for a fair transition for students who were already approved, assessed or enrolled before the funding pause. Schools can be investigated and held accountable without leaving students and their families in financial crisis.

Thank you to everyone who has signed, shared, or taken the time to listen. ❤️