Ottawa students at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa are staring down a tougher road to graduation after Premier Doug Ford's government sharply cut Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) grants earlier this year, a move the province says was necessary to rein in "unsustainable" costs.
What Changed With OSAP
OSAP has long been the main source of financial aid for Ontario students, combining grants (which don't need to be repaid) with loans (which do). The recent cuts reduce the grant portion many students rely on, shifting more of the financial burden onto loans. For students already juggling rent, groceries, and tuition in a city where the cost of living has climbed steadily, that shift matters.
The Ottawa Angle
With two major post-secondary institutions — Carleton University and the University of Ottawa — plus Algonquin College and La Cité, Ottawa is home to tens of thousands of OSAP-dependent students. Many come from outside the city and rely on grants to cover housing costs in neighbourhoods like Sandy Hill, Centretown, and near Carleton's campus, where rents have risen sharply in recent years. For these students, a smaller grant often means either taking on more debt through loans or picking up additional part-time work while trying to keep up with coursework.
Student advocacy groups on Ottawa campuses have raised concerns that the cuts could push some students to delay their studies, switch to part-time status, or reconsider programs altogether — decisions that ripple beyond individual students into the city's broader talent pipeline, given how many local employers, from the federal government to Kanata North tech firms, recruit directly from Ottawa's universities and colleges.
Students Rethinking Their Plans
Across Ontario, students interviewed by CBC described weighing whether continuing their education is financially realistic under the new OSAP structure. Some are considering taking a gap year to save money before returning to school, while others are looking at cheaper housing arrangements or additional jobs to offset the reduced grant support. For students in a city like Ottawa, where the housing market remains tight and rents haven't meaningfully cooled, those choices carry real weight.
The provincial government has defended the cuts as a matter of fiscal responsibility, arguing that the previous level of grant funding wasn't sustainable long-term. But for students already stretched thin, the change lands at a moment when many were counting on OSAP support to bridge the gap between what they can earn and what school actually costs.
What's Next
It remains to be seen whether the province will adjust the funding formula in response to pushback from students and advocacy groups. In the meantime, Ottawa's student population — a significant and visible part of the city's demographic makeup — will be navigating a leaner aid system as the fall semester approaches, with many likely leaning more heavily on loans, part-time work, or family support to stay enrolled.
Source: CBC Ottawa
