‘It’s just not fair’; UofG students walkout in protest of new OSAP funding structure

GUELPH – A large crowd of University of Guelph students gathered in Branion Plaza at the heart of UofG to walkout in protest of the changes made to the funding structure of the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

On Feb. 12, this year, the provincial government announced a “stronger, more sustainable OSAP system.”

A press release issued that day said “to strengthen the long-term sustainability of OSAP and bring it in line with other provinces, Ontario students will be eligible to receive a maximum of 25 per cent of their OSAP funding as grants and a minimum of 75 per cent of their funding as loans.”

Previously OSAP grants could cover up to 85 per cent of the students’ funding.

In the same press release the provincial government announced they have forgone the tuition freeze mandated seven years ago; “Ontario will allow publicly assisted colleges and universities to raise tuition by up to 2 per cent per year for three years, then up to 2 per cent or the three-year average rate of inflation, whichever is less, in the years following,” the press release said.

Julia Sharp is in her final semester of her five years of study at UofG and was displeased to hear about the OSAP funding changes.

 

Sharp said she feels like the provincial government and the decisions of premier Doug Ford are constricting her future; she already is in about $30,000 of student loan debt and expects to pile on another $30,000 once enrolled in postgraduate education.

 

She also said students have been experiencing financial hardship for decades and have since seen little-to-no change to support their future; Sharp recalls stories from her mother, who studied at Western to become a personal support worker, and was sometimes forced to choose between buying hygiene products or dinner due to financial constraints.

The walkout was promoted by the Central Student Association (CSA), a student union representing undergrad students enrolled with UofG, and they had also erected the “Wall of Debt” which was open for students to write down how much student debt they are in.

CSA president and fourth-year UofG student Emilie Dudgeon said it’s bittersweet to see students reveal their levels of debt due to post-secondary expenditures.

Dudgeon has also heard multiple personal accounts of post-secondary students needing to make tough decisions because they simply don’t have enough money or time.

 

She said these changes to funding also affects future enrollment.

 

One of the event’s guest speakers was Kayla Weiller of the Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario, a province-wide student union representing about 300,000 students.

The walkout of Nov. 5 was coordinated; students also walked out on campuses in Ottawa, Toronto and Windsor, for example.

Weiller has been with the federation for about nine years and has noticed a pattern of the Ford government steadily whittling down supports for Ontario education.

Weiller said it was amazing to see students come out and fight for better support systems.