Ontario career college sector thrown into 'uncertainty' without OSAP decisions

Ontario has delayed decisions on whether individual career colleges across the province will be eligible for student financial aid this academic year amid questions about unusual activity at a small number of schools, throwing the entire sector into uncertainty. The Ministry of Colleges and Universities often approves which schools can accept Ontario Student Assistance Program funding over the summer, but career colleges and their thousands of students are still anxiously waiting in early October, with the academic year already well underway at many schools. Career Colleges Ontario, an association representing the sector and the body that processes their students’ OSAP applications, said the approval delays are causing significant disruption for schools, which have to make operational decisions without clear information or timelines, and for students who don’t know if they can afford to start – or remain in – classes.

The delay comes as the government is under fire for what critics describe as a lack of oversight and inaction on unusually rapid OSAP growth at several career colleges, flagged to the ministry as possibly “suspicious” by Career Colleges Ontario as far back as January 2023. “We hope the government will introduce a policy that promptly addresses improper conduct and targets those who have acted wrongly,” the association wrote in a statement. “Career Colleges Ontario was instrumental in bringing these concerns forward to the government in the first place, and it is not fair that students across the sector who have done nothing wrong are now being impacted as a result.” Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The sector-wide delays are affecting not just schools that Career Colleges Ontario raised concerns about, but also schools such as Mothercraft, which has been offering early childhood education programs for decades and has a “stellar” compliance record, said executive director Michele Lupa. “We’re still waiting to hear if we continue to be an eligible institution for OSAP,” Lupa said in an interview. “So, needless to say, that’s a little concerning.

We’re six weeks into the academic year, and we have students who are relying on OSAP to be able to carry out their studies. So they’re getting anxious, needless to say, and we are too.” Mothercraft graduates about 125 new ECEs every year, a… TORONTO - Ontario has delayed decisions on whether individual career colleges across the province will be eligible for student financial aid this academic year amid questions about unusual activity at a small number of schools, throwing the entire sector into…