On February 12, Doug Ford’s government announced billions in new funding for Ontario colleges and universities in addition to a restructured Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and the end of a seven-year tuition freeze. 

In the announcement, the government says the changes are aimed at protecting “access to the education [students] need to launch successful careers, build long-term sustainability in the postsecondary sector and support the world-class research being conducted at Ontario universities and colleges, while ensuring education remains accessible for future generations.” 

OSAP overhaul concerns student unions

The government says it is restructuring OSAP to “strengthen [its] long-term sustainability” and to “ensure financial assistance remains available for future generations.” The restructuring applies to the permitted grant-loan ratio available to students.

Starting fall 2026, OSAP applicants will receive a maximum of 25 per cent of their OSAP funding as grants and a minimum of 75 per cent as loans, compared to the current model, which allows for a maximum of 85 per cent as grants and a minimum of 15 per cent as loans. 

The changes to OSAP have concerned both students and student unions. The Canadian Federation of Students Ontario (CFSON) called the restructuring a “devastating blow for students” in an Instagram post, writing that these changes “will have significant ramifications for students” in Ontario. 

CFSON have since organized a short-term action plan, including a rally at Queen’s Park on March 4 and a “Campus Week of Actions,” promoting student organizations on Ontario postsecondary campuses.

In a video statement over Instagram, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) said that the changes to OSAP do not “reflect the needs of students” and that it will ultimately lead to higher student debt and decreased accessibility to higher education. 

As of writing, the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) and the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) have not reacted to the Ontario government’s announcement. 

End of the 2019 tuition freeze

The Ford government also announced “an updated tuition framework,” which will allow publicly assisted colleges and universities to raise tuition costs by two per cent per year. This marks the end of the freeze on tuition for Ontario domestic students, which has been in place since 2019. Out-of-province domestic students have been excluded from the freeze since the 2023–2024 year. 

Tuition will begin to rise for the first time beginning in fall 2026. In the first three years, tuition will increase by up to two per cent. After that, tuition will either increase up to the three-year average rate of inflation, or up to two per cent, whichever costs less. The university remains firm in its commitment to “ensuring that financial circumstances are never a barrier to talent, ambition and achievement,” U of T President Melanie Woodin wrote in a February 12 statement.

New funding for Ontario colleges and universities

The new $6.4 billion investment will be received over the next four years and includes $4.4 billion in increased operating funding and $1.7 billion to fund 70,000 new spots in colleges and universities for Ontario residents. 

Woodin has praised the new funding as “a bold and important step” and the “biggest boost to higher education in this province in a generation.”

The Ontario government said in its announcement that this long-term funding model “will see universities, colleges, and Indigenous Institutes focused on delivering programs that align with student and labour-market demand,” with “increased, predictable funding.” This marks the highest increase in operating funding in Ontario’s history.