Ontario Bars Students at Five Career Colleges From OSAP Loans

Ontario’s Ministry of Colleges and Universities announced on Thursday that students enrolled in five private career colleges will be ineligible for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) loans for the 2026‑2027 academic year. The move expands a previous prohibition that prevented students at career colleges from receiving OSAP grant funding, extending the restriction to the loan component of the program.

The ministry said the decision applies to all learners attending the five designated private career colleges across the province. By disqualifying these students from both grant and loan assistance, the province aims to address concerns it has identified regarding the enrollment practices of the institutions involved. The specific concerns relate to how the colleges manage course registration and student intake, though the ministry did not provide further detail on the nature of the practices.

Under the OSAP framework, eligible students can receive a combination of grants, which do not need to be repaid, and loans, which must be repaid after graduation. With the new restriction, students at the affected career colleges will no longer be able to apply for the loan portion of OSAP for the upcoming academic year, limiting their access to government‑funded financial support for post‑secondary education.

The ministry’s action follows an earlier decision that barred career college students from OSAP grant eligibility. By extending the limitation to loans, officials indicated a broader effort to ensure that provincial financial aid is directed toward programs and institutions that meet established enrollment and compliance standards. The announcement did not specify any timeline for reassessment or potential reinstatement of eligibility, leaving the affected students to explore alternative financing options for their studies.

Students and representatives of the five private career colleges have been notified of the change and are expected to seek clarification from the ministry regarding the implications for current and prospective enrolments.