GUELPH – MPP for Guelph Mike Schreiner released the following statement in response to the announcement of updates to the colleges and universities funding model.
“At a time when youth unemployment is at an all time high, this government is making it harder for young people to get ahead with its further cuts to OSAP grants.
I have long called on this government to increase postsecondary education funding to address the fact that Ontario has the lowest per capita funding for postsecondary education in the country.
We’re glad to finally see funding allocated to the sector, but it can’t come at the expense of students.
For years, the government has underfunded Ontario’s postsecondary sector to the brink of collapse. Now, further changes to OSAP, combined with tuition increases, mean that students will be the ones to foot the bill.
We call on the government to prioritize student success by reversing the changes to the OSAP funding model and by increasing grants for students to ensure they can thrive in school and be ready to enter the workforce without high levels of debt.