Students at post-secondary institutions in Greater Sudbury, Ont., are voicing deep concerns over changes to OSAP and tuition regulations taking effect this fall, warning the new funding model will saddle them with unsustainable debt. The Government of Ontario’s restructuring caps grants at 25 per cent of funding, leaving loans to cover at least 75 per cent of students’ bills. Schools can also raise tuition by two per cent annually. Emily Del Nin, a first-year Early Childhood Education student at Cambrian College, said the math simply does not work. “I don’t have all this money to just pull out of my pockets right now and go to school,” Del Nin said. “That’s thousands upon thousands of dollars that I don’t have.” She emphasized that many of her peers depend entirely on provincial aid to access higher education. “I have a lot of friends that are on OSAP because they need it,” she said. “They cannot get an education without OSAP and having to pay back all that money afterwards – it’s insane.” Nursing students see contradiction in provincial messaging Lauren Hull, a second-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing student, also at Cambrian, identified a troubling irony in making education less accessible for future nurses at a time of critical shortages. “For us, it’s all funded through OSAP,” Hull said. “Right now, my program is free, which is great, but that’s not the case for a lot of people. So, nurses that we desperately need are not getting enough encouragement and they’re not getting their tuition paid for.” Student leaders have taken notice of the widespread unease. Rushawn Bascoe, president of the Cambrian College Athletic Association, said students fear long-term consequences. “Students are concerned because it’s leading towards loans more than grants,” Bascoe said. “So, it’s also leading towards a more financial burden on students’ long-term when graduating, with a lot of financial debts.” Bascoe noted his association is promoting institutional bursaries to help offset the pressure. Ford’s comments on ‘basket-weaving’ spark backlash The policy announcement was accompanied by controversial remarks from Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Tuesday as he defended the government’s direction. “I mentioned to the students, you have to invest in your future, into in-demand jobs,” Ford said. “I’m not one to say, you know, like you’re picking basket weaving courses and there’s not too many baskets being sold out there.” The characterization landed poorly among Sudbury students. “No degree is a basket-weaving degree, in my opinion,” Hull said. Del Nin, who is pursuing a career in education, said the premier’s dismissive tone struck a personal nerve. “These aren’t just basket-weaving jobs. People are choosing their careers,” Del Nin said. “I want to be a teacher, but if I can’t afford to be a teacher, that’s a job that’s in high demand right now. So, really kind of just rubbed me the wrong way when he said that. It’s really not cool at all.” OSAP applications open this spring, with the changes coming into effect in September.
