Ontario plans enrolment caps and fines for career colleges

Ontario said in a Toronto release on November 12 that it plans to introduce a bill on November 16 to tighten oversight of private colleges in OSAP, the Ontario Student Assistance Program, which gives students grants and loans. The bill, not yet introduced, would cap growth in OSAP-funded enrolment at private institutions. Mostly online programs would lose OSAP eligibility, career colleges would need a physical campus, and institutions would be liable for their students’ loans, letting the province recover OSAP money. New fines would apply to breaches of the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005.

Global News reported that provincial OSAP grants to career colleges nearly doubled to about $1 billion in 2024-25. Concerns about rising private-sector applications led the province to pause related OSAP payments and begin an audit. CP24 reported that Minister Nolan Quinn said the audit’s preliminary findings point to serious systematic concerns about the integrity of OSAP in this sector.

The pause, which covers all private institutions, has led some students to drop out. It is not yet clear when payments will resume: Mr Quinn hopes for the new year, but there is no guaranteed timeline. But Peggy Sattler, the NDP colleges critic, said the bill comes too late, calling it “a classic case of closing the barn door after the horses are gone”.

Sources: Government of Ontario · Global News · CP24