Last Wednesday, hundreds of students and demonstrators from across the province gathered at Queen’s Park to protest changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), which will restructure the amount of funding students may receive in grants. The rally, organized by the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (CFSON), led to a clash between protestors and police.

Video footage from the protest shows clashes between protestors and police, with police forming a line in front of the Legislative Assembly building and shoving protestors away. CFSON have condemned the Toronto Police Service’s (TPS) “presence, violence, and criminalization of students and attendees,” calling it “heavy-handed and disproportionate,” “intentional,” and “calculated” in an Instagram post. 

In the same post, CFSON alleged that demonstrators were also “dragged through the mud, shoved, and in some cases, even hit with objects ripped from the hands of other attendees.”

TPS confirmed that two demonstrators were arrested and charged. 22-year-old Rohtansh Saini was charged with damage to property under $5,000 for allegedly vandalizing a monument with spray paint. 

While police attempted to arrest Saini, “a number of other protestors became aggressive towards the officers and interfered with the arrest,” according to a TPS media release. Mason Wallington, 21, was charged with assaulting a peace officer after allegedly spitting on an officer. 

CFSON have confirmed in an Instagram story that both arrestees have since been released, with court dates scheduled in April. 

Students from across Ontario protest OSAP changes

The planned restructuring of OSAP will restrict applicants to 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 government stated it is restructuring OSAP, which will come into effect in fall 2026, 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.

One student told The Varsity at the protest that the changes to OSAP would be “pretty devastating” for them. “I need any help I can get,” they said. “It’s based on your parents’ income; I don’t have parents to begin with.”

“If I lose my OSAP grants, I might need to reconsider my study,” said York University student and Save OSAP organizer, Jerry Peng. Peng told The Varsity that losing his OSAP grants may force him to drop out of school. 

Not everyone who attended the rally, however, was a student relying on OSAP. Many, including Jaz Raine, former Green Party MP candidate and President of the Trent Graduate Students’ Association, attended the rally in solidarity. “Education already is barely accessible for people,” Raine said to The Varsity, saying that cutting OSAP grants gives fewer students the choice of higher education. 

CFSON called the changes a “devastating blow for students,” in an Instagram post, writing that they “will have significant ramifications for students” in Ontario. 

Chants led by CFSON Chairperson, Cyrielle Ngeleka; and National Executive Representative, Omar Mousa, included “Hands off our education,” “Hands off our OSAP,” and “No cuts, no fees, no corporate universities.”