Changes to OSAP means more help to more students
With the McGuinty government's five-year Open Ontario plan in place, everything from jobs and salaries are affected — but important areas for post-secondary education students are the changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program to take place this August and the cap placed on tuition hikes.
Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, John Milloy, said greater financial support for students was “very much a focus” of the provincial budget, announced Thursday, March 25.
“The package provides more aid to more people,” explained Milloy. “(It provides) the flexibility the system needs.”
Regarding tuition, it will now be capped at a five per cent increase, which prevents any large increases in tuition for the next two years.
Under the new OSAP plan, students will be able to keep more of the money they earn through part-time jobs, without it affecting the OSAP funding. Right now, students can only earn up to $50 a week before OSAP funding starts being reduced. But with the changes, the government is doubling the income to just over $100 per week.
Students will also be given six months free from paying interest after they graduate, which is added onto the six months of no payment that is currently in effect. Therefore, the Ontario portion of all OSAP loans is interest-free, as well as payment free for the first six months post-graduation. But students graduating this spring do not qualify for this opportunity.
The changes to OSAP apply to a range of students — from international, to married students and single parents, as part of the plan's flexibility.
Married students with no children can receive an additional $6,829 OSAP aid — if they meet the criteria that their spouse's income is $30,000 a year, and have a car that the spouse uses for their daily commute to their job. As well, the weekly loan limit for married students, as well as students with children, increases to $350 a week.
Milloy also noted the benefits of international students in the post-secondary education system, and that the new plan looks to encourage their continued involvement.
“They tend to be the best students around,” said Milloy.
The number of international students has increased and the provincial government is looking to increase it an additional 50 per cent.
Furthermore, universities and colleges are being required now to put 10 per cent of additional revenue, which they will be receiving through the new provincial budget, to student assistance programs like bursaries.
However, now the cap for student debt is increased to $7,300 rather than $7,000 but Milloy assures that the additions made to help students, makes up for this increase.
OSAP is an issue affecting a large number of students. There's been about a 51 per cent increase in the amount of students who use OSAP since 2003 and 2004.
For students wishing to learn more about the changes to OSAP, they can visit https://osap.gov.on.ca.
“The provincial government is investing more money in OSAP and post-secondary education, does this affect you and will you be looking into the changes?”
Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, John Milloy, said greater financial support for students was “very much a focus” of the provincial budget, announced Thursday, March 25.
“The package provides more aid to more people,” explained Milloy. “(It provides) the flexibility the system needs.”
Regarding tuition, it will now be capped at a five per cent increase, which prevents any large increases in tuition for the next two years.
Under the new OSAP plan, students will be able to keep more of the money they earn through part-time jobs, without it affecting the OSAP funding. Right now, students can only earn up to $50 a week before OSAP funding starts being reduced. But with the changes, the government is doubling the income to just over $100 per week.
Students will also be given six months free from paying interest after they graduate, which is added onto the six months of no payment that is currently in effect. Therefore, the Ontario portion of all OSAP loans is interest-free, as well as payment free for the first six months post-graduation. But students graduating this spring do not qualify for this opportunity.
The changes to OSAP apply to a range of students — from international, to married students and single parents, as part of the plan's flexibility.
Married students with no children can receive an additional $6,829 OSAP aid — if they meet the criteria that their spouse's income is $30,000 a year, and have a car that the spouse uses for their daily commute to their job. As well, the weekly loan limit for married students, as well as students with children, increases to $350 a week.
Milloy also noted the benefits of international students in the post-secondary education system, and that the new plan looks to encourage their continued involvement.
“They tend to be the best students around,” said Milloy.
The number of international students has increased and the provincial government is looking to increase it an additional 50 per cent.
Furthermore, universities and colleges are being required now to put 10 per cent of additional revenue, which they will be receiving through the new provincial budget, to student assistance programs like bursaries.
However, now the cap for student debt is increased to $7,300 rather than $7,000 but Milloy assures that the additions made to help students, makes up for this increase.
OSAP is an issue affecting a large number of students. There's been about a 51 per cent increase in the amount of students who use OSAP since 2003 and 2004.
For students wishing to learn more about the changes to OSAP, they can visit https://osap.gov.on.ca.
“The provincial government is investing more money in OSAP and post-secondary education, does this affect you and will you be looking into the changes?”
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Anonymous - “Well I’m not on OSAP now because I’m a mature student so I couldn’t get it. Though this would have been nice back then because I’ve been turned down for it before because my parent made too much money, but I still needed money for school. So at least now my brother and sister can have a chance of getting it, so I’ll be looking into it for them.” | |
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Nick Perentinos - “That’s good news. I’m with OSAP so every dollar helps since I’m going to be needing it until I’m done school. I just work throughout the summer to help pay it off. So this is something I’ll look into and tell some of my friends about it cause they got turned down for it before.” | |
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Manish Anjani - “I’m an international student so I don’t think I can get it, and I don’t want it. And I don’t really think it’s a good idea to get OSAP because I don’t think it’s good for you. It’s just a loan, so this doesn’t really affect me.” | |
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Shannah Marry - “I’m using OSAP and being able to get it next year is really important because next year is my last year, which is going to be the most expensive one for me. And it’s great because I don’t live in London so OSAP also covers my travel fees, so any money I get from OSAP or bursaries is really going to help me next year.” | |
