Premier Doug Ford said he has been fielding thousands of calls from concerned students since his government announced they would be changing the structure of the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).
The changes include shifting OSAP to a loan-heavy model that caps grants at 25 per cent down from the current 85 per cent.
“I’ll continue supporting and fighting for students even though they’re probably upset right now,” said Ford to reporters on Tuesday.
“I’ve heard some nightmare stories on the other side as well about kids going out there buying fancy watches and cologne and not needing it … that doesn’t fly with the taxpayers.”
The premier said the current system wasn’t sustainable and contends that bigger loans will hold students accountable.
“You’re picking basket-weaving courses and there’s not too many baskets being sold out there. Go into healthcare, go into trades,” shared Ford. “Those are where the jobs are.”
However, health care leaders tell CityNews the changes will actually deter students from entering in-demand fields like medicine.
Currently, the Ontario Nurses Association (ONA) says the province is short around 25,000 nurses and the new cap on OSAP grants could threaten the pipeline of future nurses.
“Nursing students have a very heavy workload,” said Erin Ariss, ONA President. “Many of them cannot work a part-time job or a full-time job in addition to their education. They are strapped financially. They are struggling already and many of them rely on OSAP.”
With the Ontario legislature on break for another five weeks, the NDP is using the pause to highlight the crisis inside hospitals, warning hallway medicine is now the reality in Ontario.
“There was a time that this government said it was going to end hallway healthcare. Now, hallway healthcare is the norm,” said Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles.
“We see the chaos, the hallways, the broom closet medicine that is occurring right now,” added Ariss.
When asked about hallway medicine, Ford said the groups claiming it’s getting worse should “check their facts.”
“There’s no one that’s invested more into healthcare than we have … we’re pouring money into the health care system.”
Ford says there are already several provincial programs in place to support healthcare students in financial need. He also added he was under immense pressure to raise tuition fees, which will go up by two per cent starting this fall.
