Provincial investigators have begun in-person inspections at eight private career colleges looking for potential evidence of “irregularities or fraud,” as the Ford government continues to deal with the fallout of the alleged criminal use of the student assistance program.
The government said investigators “gathered information and interviewed individuals” at the unnamed career colleges and suggested it plans to widen the inspections to additional schools, and to the “sector as a whole.”
In early October, the province said students all 242 private career colleges in the province would be barred from accessing the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) as the province investigated “serious concerns” raised by the federal government, advocacy groups and internal audits and inspections.
The government alleged that some private career colleges were co-owned by immigration services and recruitment firms, could not validate students or provide verification that they were enrolled in courses and that there was a “high concentration of OSAP applications” from the same geographic locations.
Those findings, uncovered by external audit firm KMPG, have been referred to the OPP for an official investigation.
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The system-wide OSAP suspension, however, has been met with an outcry from college administrators who insist the government is blindly targeting schools without evidence of any wrongdoing.
Trillium College, which offers health, business, technology and trades programs, suspended in class instruction last week “to establish viable financial arrangements following the province-wide pause in OSAP funding,” according to an internal memo obtained by Global News.
Meanwhile, other colleges have warned the government they might have to shut their doors if OSAP funding dries up.
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While the Ford government said the pleas from colleges and students are “not lost on us,” the province will only revive OSAP access once “integrity to the system” has been restored.
“We are working to develop a strengthened validation process for private postsecondary institutions associated with OSAP approvals for the 2026-27 academic year,” Ontario’s Minister of Colleges and Universities said in a statement.
“This process is expected to be implemented in the new year. OSAP will not resume for private postsecondary institutions until the strengthened validation process is in place.”
Quinn said the government plans to introduce caps on OSAP-funded enrollment at the colleges, exclude online-only programs, and will enhance student identification and verification controls.
Meanwhile, the government said it’s still working on connecting thousands of students with banks and financial institutions for bridge loans to cover the cost of their education, but that the province is still working on the “program criteria.”
Typical Ford “small government” methodology. Find minor fraud, accuse everyone that gets provincial funds of being part of the fraud and cut off all provincial funding, unless it benefits Ford’s donors. It’s called crony capitalism and is the overriding ideology of the Ford Con government!
The same needs to be done here in Alberta and BC. Lots of students received useless diplomas from career colleges, and not just the small ones. Those who were scammed are left with tens of thousands in student loan debt and not able to work in their industry of study due to industry not recognizing the diplomas.
AAPS, you ARE one of the bad actors!
I work with career colleges, so I’ll say up front that I’m not neutral. But “most are scammers” isn’t what the evidence shows. The money that drove this was concentrated at a handful of schools, and seven of them received $385 million in grants last year. The sector’s own association reported suspicious activity at a small number of schools back in 2023.
No one would dispute going after fraudulent schools – much like no one would dispute going after Ford’s government scandals that have quietly gone away at the tax payers expense. But the pause also covers colleges and students who have done nothing wrong. Many of these students are single parents, laid-off workers and people trying to get off social assistance. Pay the students at colleges that aren’t under investigation, and keep the investigation going at the rest.
But Scott. It’s easier to blame the people who are victims of the scams. Not the scammers who were donors for the PC party.
Sure seems like the Private Colleges that donated to the PC party, had PC Caucus members at their openings, had the government look the other way. Then they use the corruption (that they were part of) to justify cutting OSAP for everyone else, claim it is insolvent… Nope just corrupt.
Good, most are scammers
Maybe start with also looking into Government run PSW Personal Support Worker agencies apparently linked to Ontario programs where people who “work” for these agencies come to old peoples home for 20min sit and play on their phone…do nothing to assist the old person and thr leave…who the flock pays these people, oh right our taxes do, and what a scam…1 out of 20 actually assist the elderly in their home, the rest are milking the system. EZ money 💰 🤑 might as well be the daycare scam in the usa.
Without income but still carrying on paying teachers and educating students the colleges will go bankrupt . Thousands of jobs will be lost and now many students cannot afford groceries or rent. Poorly thought out as usual. Let the lawsuits begin
Family incomes should not be taxed. Period.
And costing Ontario residents money. That $25000could have been better spent than on that billboard in Hamilton.
Yes, go find the issues after the fact! Classic government. Don’t do anything before or during though!
Who approved them? Fraud Ford covering his tracks after the mess he created when he was warned it would be one.
Thank a Liberal for the abuse of the OSAP loans. Free easy money.
Seems they are always corrupt enough to find ways to defraud our social programs. How many real students didn’t get the funding they needed because of the corruption that now reigns supreme in Ontario and Canada. Where there is a way, there is a fraud or a scam. How did we go from a high trust society, to a zero trust society in such a short time. We know need a task force to declare all out war on fraud and corruption in every facet of our social programs… sad state of affairs; only in Canada eh?!?!?!?