Ontario is proposing legislation to strengthen oversight and enforcement of the Ontario Student Assistance Program at private post-secondary schools, a month after pausing OSAP payments to those institutions amid an external audit into alleged misuse.

According to CBC News, the province announced the proposed measures Thursday, saying they would require greater transparency from career colleges and provide tools to protect students and taxpayers. The measures would take effect if the legislation passes.

The Ford government has also notified the Ontario Provincial Police and the auditor general about concerns over rising OSAP usage at private schools. The reported concerns involve potential abuse; the announcement does not establish that misuse has occurred.

Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn said in a provincial news release that the legislation is intended to strengthen the program’s integrity and ensure public funding supports high-quality education.

“Any misuse of this system for personal, predatory gain is entirely unacceptable,” Quinn said.

The proposal follows a sharp increase in grant spending. Information obtained by The Canadian Press through a freedom-of-information request showed Ontario spent $465 million more on OSAP grants between the 2023–24 and 2024–25 academic years. Private career college students accounted for 95 per cent of that increase.

The oversight announcement comes amid continuing criticism of broader OSAP changes announced in February, when the government cited “unsustainable” costs.

Those changes reduced the maximum share of assistance available as non-repayable grants from 85 per cent to 25 per cent, while increasing the share provided through loans. Students have warned that the reduction in grants will leave them carrying heavier debt loads during a period of economic uncertainty. Students across Ontario have also walked out of classrooms to protest the changes and a tuition increase.

The province has defended its approach by pointing to a $6.4-billion investment in Ontario colleges and universities to be rolled out over four years.

Reporting source: CBC News, Arrthy Thayaparan, with files from The Canadian Press and Amy van den Berg.

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