Urge Ontario to restore OSAP funding for private career colleges
The Issue
DON'T PUNISH STUDENTS FOR A SYSTEM THEY DIDN'T BREAK!
Urgent Petition to the Ontario Government: Restore OSAP Funding and Protect the Futures of Students at Private Career Colleges
To: The Honourable Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
We Are Students, Parents, Workers, and People Fighting for a Second Chance.
We are not asking for charity.
We are not asking for special privileges.
We are asking for fairness, dignity, and the opportunity to finish what we started.
On October 6, 2026, the Ontario government's announcement suspending OSAP payments to students attending private postsecondary institutions sent shockwaves through the lives of students and families across Ontario.
For the government, this may be a policy decision.
For us, it is our education, our financial security, our families, and our futures hanging in the balance.
Behind every OSAP application is a human story.
A mother returning to school after years of raising her children.
A father struggling to provide for his family after losing his job.
A mature student who has spent decades working but now needs new qualifications to remain employable.
A newcomer trying to build a stable future in Canada.
A person who has experienced unemployment, rejection, financial hardship, or countless unsuccessful job applications but refuses to give up.
These are not just student numbers in a government database.
These are real people, with real struggles, real responsibilities, and real dreams.
We Chose Education Instead of Giving Up
For many of us, returning to school was not an easy decision.
We left familiar routines, rearranged family responsibilities, reduced working hours, stretched household budgets, and made sacrifices because we believed education could change our circumstances.
Some of us are in our forties, fifties, or even older.
We are not beginning our lives. We are trying to rebuild them.
Many of us have spent years contributing to our communities, raising families, paying taxes, and supporting others.
Now, when we need an opportunity to retrain, we are being confronted with uncertainty over the financial assistance that helped make our education possible.
We enrolled in approved programs, completed the required paperwork, applied for government assistance, and planned our finances around anticipated funding.
We attended classes, completed assignments, studied for examinations, and worked toward qualifications that could help us secure meaningful employment.
We did everything we were asked to do.
Yet now, through no wrongdoing of our own, we face the possibility of losing the financial support we were counting on.
What Happens to a Student When OSAP Suddenly Stops?
Imagine being halfway through a program and discovering that the financial assistance you expected may not arrive.
Imagine having to explain to your children why there may not be enough money for groceries because tuition must be paid.
Imagine being a mature student who has already exhausted personal savings to return to school.
Imagine facing the possibility of abandoning months of hard work, not because you failed academically, but because the financial support you relied upon has been suspended.
For some students, an OSAP loan is the difference between completing their education and dropping out.
For others, it means avoiding high-interest debt, meeting essential expenses, or maintaining stability while preparing for employment.
The consequences go far beyond the classroom.
Financial uncertainty affects families, emotional well-being, confidence, and the ability to concentrate on studies.
No student should have to study for an examination while wondering whether they can afford to remain enrolled.
We Support Accountability — But Not Collective Punishment
We understand that the Ontario government has a responsibility to protect public funds, investigate irregularities, and ensure that educational institutions operate with integrity.
We support transparency.
We support accountability.
We support action against wrongdoing wherever credible evidence establishes that wrongdoing has occurred.
But we ask one fundamental question:
Why should students who followed the rules bear the consequences of investigations into a system they did not control?
If institutions or individuals have misused public funds, investigate them thoroughly and hold those responsible accountable.
But do not treat every student attending a private career college as though they are responsible.
Do not jeopardize the futures of people who enrolled in good faith.
Do not create financial hardship for families who are already struggling.
Accountability should protect innocent students, not become another obstacle in their lives.
Ontario Needs Skilled Workers — So Why Put Their Education at Risk?
Ontario needs qualified people in healthcare, medical administration, technology, business services, skilled trades, and other essential industries.
Private career colleges provide training pathways for many adults seeking to enter or re-enter the workforce.
Students enrolled in these programs are preparing to fill real employment needs.
Many are pursuing training specifically because they want to move away from unemployment or financial dependence and toward stable, meaningful careers.
Interrupting their education may delay their entry into the workforce and increase the financial pressures they are already trying to overcome.
We want to work.
We want to contribute.
We want to support our families.
We want to build independent, secure futures.
Please do not close the door on people who are working so hard to open a new one.
Our Appeal to the Ontario Government
We, the undersigned, respectfully call upon the Ontario government to take the following actions:
1. Restore OSAP funding for students already enrolled.
Permit eligible students who enrolled before the suspension and were expecting approved OSAP payments to receive their financial assistance while investigations continue, with appropriate safeguards.
2. Protect students from unexpected financial hardship.
Ensure that affected students are not forced to abandon their studies or take on expensive private debt because of interrupted government payments.
3. Introduce emergency transitional financial assistance.
Provide temporary funding or interest-free financial support for students whose scheduled OSAP payments are delayed.
4. Prevent unfair tuition penalties and academic disruption.
Work with colleges to ensure affected students are not subjected to unreasonable late fees, collection action, or exclusion from classes solely because government funding has been delayed.
5. Protect students receiving Better Jobs Ontario assistance.
Provide clear written confirmation about whether Better Jobs Ontario payments and other approved training supports are affected by the OSAP suspension.
6. Announce a transparent timeline.
Communicate when the suspension will be reviewed, what conditions must be met for payments to resume, and how students will receive updates.
7. Put students at the centre of every decision.
Consult affected students, particularly mature learners, unemployed individuals, parents, and people facing financial hardship, before implementing measures that could disrupt their education.
A Message From Students Who Refuse to Give Up
To the Ontario government:
Please understand what it takes for someone to return to education later in life.
It takes courage to walk into a classroom after decades away from school.
It takes determination to study while raising children, caring for aging parents, or managing household responsibilities.
It takes humility to start again after losing a job or struggling to find employment.
And it takes hope to believe that, even after years of hardship, a better future is still possible.
We made that choice.
We chose courage over fear.
We chose education over discouragement.
We chose to invest in ourselves because we believed Ontario would support people willing to work toward a better future.
Please do not turn that hope into another disappointment.
We are not asking the government to ignore wrongdoing.
We are asking it to distinguish between those responsible for wrongdoing and students who simply want an education.
A responsible government can investigate institutions while protecting students.
A fair government can demand accountability without causing unnecessary hardship.
A compassionate government can recognize that behind every funding decision is a family whose future may depend on it.
OUR EDUCATION IS NOT A LUXURY. IT IS OUR PATH TO SURVIVAL, DIGNITY, AND INDEPENDENCE.
We urge the Ontario government to restore OSAP payments for eligible existing students, introduce immediate financial protections, and provide clear answers to those whose futures have been placed in uncertainty.
Do not punish students for a system they did not break.
Do not let years of sacrifice end in financial hardship.
Do not allow a government funding decision to destroy someone's second chance.
We are students.
We are parents.
We are workers.
We are mature learners.
We are Ontario's future workforce.
And our futures deserve protection.
Please sign and share this petition.
Your signature is more than a name. It is a message that education should remain accessible, that students deserve fairness, and that no one trying to rebuild their life should be left behind.
Initiated by: Saima Yousaf
Medical Office Administrator Student
triOS College, Ontario
An appeal for the protection of students attending private postsecondary institutions across Ontario.
113
The Issue
DON'T PUNISH STUDENTS FOR A SYSTEM THEY DIDN'T BREAK!
Urgent Petition to the Ontario Government: Restore OSAP Funding and Protect the Futures of Students at Private Career Colleges
To: The Honourable Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
We Are Students, Parents, Workers, and People Fighting for a Second Chance.
We are not asking for charity.
We are not asking for special privileges.
We are asking for fairness, dignity, and the opportunity to finish what we started.
On October 6, 2026, the Ontario government's announcement suspending OSAP payments to students attending private postsecondary institutions sent shockwaves through the lives of students and families across Ontario.
For the government, this may be a policy decision.
For us, it is our education, our financial security, our families, and our futures hanging in the balance.
Behind every OSAP application is a human story.
A mother returning to school after years of raising her children.
A father struggling to provide for his family after losing his job.
A mature student who has spent decades working but now needs new qualifications to remain employable.
A newcomer trying to build a stable future in Canada.
A person who has experienced unemployment, rejection, financial hardship, or countless unsuccessful job applications but refuses to give up.
These are not just student numbers in a government database.
These are real people, with real struggles, real responsibilities, and real dreams.
We Chose Education Instead of Giving Up
For many of us, returning to school was not an easy decision.
We left familiar routines, rearranged family responsibilities, reduced working hours, stretched household budgets, and made sacrifices because we believed education could change our circumstances.
Some of us are in our forties, fifties, or even older.
We are not beginning our lives. We are trying to rebuild them.
Many of us have spent years contributing to our communities, raising families, paying taxes, and supporting others.
Now, when we need an opportunity to retrain, we are being confronted with uncertainty over the financial assistance that helped make our education possible.
We enrolled in approved programs, completed the required paperwork, applied for government assistance, and planned our finances around anticipated funding.
We attended classes, completed assignments, studied for examinations, and worked toward qualifications that could help us secure meaningful employment.
We did everything we were asked to do.
Yet now, through no wrongdoing of our own, we face the possibility of losing the financial support we were counting on.
What Happens to a Student When OSAP Suddenly Stops?
Imagine being halfway through a program and discovering that the financial assistance you expected may not arrive.
Imagine having to explain to your children why there may not be enough money for groceries because tuition must be paid.
Imagine being a mature student who has already exhausted personal savings to return to school.
Imagine facing the possibility of abandoning months of hard work, not because you failed academically, but because the financial support you relied upon has been suspended.
For some students, an OSAP loan is the difference between completing their education and dropping out.
For others, it means avoiding high-interest debt, meeting essential expenses, or maintaining stability while preparing for employment.
The consequences go far beyond the classroom.
Financial uncertainty affects families, emotional well-being, confidence, and the ability to concentrate on studies.
No student should have to study for an examination while wondering whether they can afford to remain enrolled.
We Support Accountability — But Not Collective Punishment
We understand that the Ontario government has a responsibility to protect public funds, investigate irregularities, and ensure that educational institutions operate with integrity.
We support transparency.
We support accountability.
We support action against wrongdoing wherever credible evidence establishes that wrongdoing has occurred.
But we ask one fundamental question:
Why should students who followed the rules bear the consequences of investigations into a system they did not control?
If institutions or individuals have misused public funds, investigate them thoroughly and hold those responsible accountable.
But do not treat every student attending a private career college as though they are responsible.
Do not jeopardize the futures of people who enrolled in good faith.
Do not create financial hardship for families who are already struggling.
Accountability should protect innocent students, not become another obstacle in their lives.
Ontario Needs Skilled Workers — So Why Put Their Education at Risk?
Ontario needs qualified people in healthcare, medical administration, technology, business services, skilled trades, and other essential industries.
Private career colleges provide training pathways for many adults seeking to enter or re-enter the workforce.
Students enrolled in these programs are preparing to fill real employment needs.
Many are pursuing training specifically because they want to move away from unemployment or financial dependence and toward stable, meaningful careers.
Interrupting their education may delay their entry into the workforce and increase the financial pressures they are already trying to overcome.
We want to work.
We want to contribute.
We want to support our families.
We want to build independent, secure futures.
Please do not close the door on people who are working so hard to open a new one.
Our Appeal to the Ontario Government
We, the undersigned, respectfully call upon the Ontario government to take the following actions:
1. Restore OSAP funding for students already enrolled.
Permit eligible students who enrolled before the suspension and were expecting approved OSAP payments to receive their financial assistance while investigations continue, with appropriate safeguards.
2. Protect students from unexpected financial hardship.
Ensure that affected students are not forced to abandon their studies or take on expensive private debt because of interrupted government payments.
3. Introduce emergency transitional financial assistance.
Provide temporary funding or interest-free financial support for students whose scheduled OSAP payments are delayed.
4. Prevent unfair tuition penalties and academic disruption.
Work with colleges to ensure affected students are not subjected to unreasonable late fees, collection action, or exclusion from classes solely because government funding has been delayed.
5. Protect students receiving Better Jobs Ontario assistance.
Provide clear written confirmation about whether Better Jobs Ontario payments and other approved training supports are affected by the OSAP suspension.
6. Announce a transparent timeline.
Communicate when the suspension will be reviewed, what conditions must be met for payments to resume, and how students will receive updates.
7. Put students at the centre of every decision.
Consult affected students, particularly mature learners, unemployed individuals, parents, and people facing financial hardship, before implementing measures that could disrupt their education.
A Message From Students Who Refuse to Give Up
To the Ontario government:
Please understand what it takes for someone to return to education later in life.
It takes courage to walk into a classroom after decades away from school.
It takes determination to study while raising children, caring for aging parents, or managing household responsibilities.
It takes humility to start again after losing a job or struggling to find employment.
And it takes hope to believe that, even after years of hardship, a better future is still possible.
We made that choice.
We chose courage over fear.
We chose education over discouragement.
We chose to invest in ourselves because we believed Ontario would support people willing to work toward a better future.
Please do not turn that hope into another disappointment.
We are not asking the government to ignore wrongdoing.
We are asking it to distinguish between those responsible for wrongdoing and students who simply want an education.
A responsible government can investigate institutions while protecting students.
A fair government can demand accountability without causing unnecessary hardship.
A compassionate government can recognize that behind every funding decision is a family whose future may depend on it.
OUR EDUCATION IS NOT A LUXURY. IT IS OUR PATH TO SURVIVAL, DIGNITY, AND INDEPENDENCE.
We urge the Ontario government to restore OSAP payments for eligible existing students, introduce immediate financial protections, and provide clear answers to those whose futures have been placed in uncertainty.
Do not punish students for a system they did not break.
Do not let years of sacrifice end in financial hardship.
Do not allow a government funding decision to destroy someone's second chance.
We are students.
We are parents.
We are workers.
We are mature learners.
We are Ontario's future workforce.
And our futures deserve protection.
Please sign and share this petition.
Your signature is more than a name. It is a message that education should remain accessible, that students deserve fairness, and that no one trying to rebuild their life should be left behind.
Initiated by: Saima Yousaf
Medical Office Administrator Student
triOS College, Ontario
An appeal for the protection of students attending private postsecondary institutions across Ontario.
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Petition created on October 8, 2026