OSAP Archives - Queen's Journal

OUSA announces OSAP clawbacks cancelled following student advocacy

Written on November 12, 2021. Posted in News.

Following a six-month campaign, the Ontario University Student Alliance (OUSA) announced in a briefing on Nov. 10 the proposed $400 million reduction to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) has been ceased. The provincial government announced in April 2021 it would claw back a $400 million...

OUSA writes letter calling on Ontario government to cease OSAP cuts

Written on July 26, 2021. Posted in News.

On May 5, the Ontario University Student Alliance (OUSA) wrote a letter to Ross Romano, then the minister of colleges and universities. OUSA called on the province to stop “clawbacks” to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). The “clawbacks” referred to the provincial government’s $400 million...

At Senate, Queen’s says no exchange in Hong Kong next term

Written on November 29, 2019. Posted in News.

At its last meeting of 2019, Queen’s Senate wrapped up discussion about the fall term break and food insecurity, moving into discussion about issues that will likely dominate the winter term. Fall Term Break When senators gathered on Tuesday, David Niddam-Dent, student senate caucus chair, raised...

AMS raises nearly $3,000 for Students for Students

Written on November 8, 2019. Posted in News.

In the month of October, AMS services raised nearly $3,000 for Students for Students (SFS), a student-run organization dedicated to raising funds for low-income students in the wake of provincial assistance cuts. Launched this summer, SFS encourages students to donate their 10 per cent tuition...

Students for Students partners with AMS to raise donations for low-income students

Written on October 10, 2019. Posted in News.

As low-income students face the first semester of funding cuts from the Ontario government, a student-run bursary has teamed up with the AMS to provide some relief. Students for Students (SFS) is a student-run organization at Queen’s dedicated to helping raise funds for students following cuts to...

First Senate meeting of the year addresses enrollment, food insecurity and OSAP

Written on October 4, 2019. Posted in News.

On Oct. 1, Queen’s Senate kicked off its first meeting of the school year with Principal Patrick Deane’s opening remarks. Deane spoke about the importance of engaging in conversation with members of the Queen’s community. “My focuses have been about listening and learning for the past months,” he...

OUSA hopes letter-writing campaign will get Ford’s attention

Written on September 24, 2019. Posted in News.

The Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) launched a letter-writing campaign on Sept. 9, vying for the attention of Premier Doug Ford and to register students’ displeasure with his government’s recent changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). Students who participate in the...

Q&A: Ontario Liberal leadership candidates talk student issues

Written on September 17, 2019. Posted in News.

The Journal spoke with four candidates for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party to ask about OSAP, the Student Choice Initiative, advocacy for low-income students, and sexual violence on campus. Here’s what the leadership hopefuls said: These interviews have been edited for clarity. Will...

What I’ve learned paying my own way through a Queen’s education

Written on September 5, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Postscript.

The first time I told this story, I was in my first year of university. I was sitting on the grass at City Park, just a few blocks away from Queen’s, with my orientation leaders and group. We were playing Two Truths and a Lie, and one of my truths was that I was a 20-year-old first-year student. I...

Bursary applications surge after OSAP cuts

Written on July 29, 2019. Posted in News.

By the end of February this year, Queen’s had received more bursary applications from incoming students than it had in the entire admissions cycle the year before. A month earlier, the province announced it would cut $670 million from the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). In an email dated...

Students grapple with cuts to OSAP

Written on July 8, 2019. Posted in Features.

Victoria Preston-Walker, Arts ’20, was prepared to graduate in the spring of 2020 with a degree in philosophy and psychology. In the wake of cuts to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), she won’t. Following significant changes to post-secondary education policy in Ontario and reduced funding...

Following cuts, OSAP estimates plunge

Written on June 20, 2019. Posted in News.

When students logged into their OSAP accounts on Wednesday, their 2019-20 assistance estimates, released yesterday, showed funding decreases of up to 50 per cent from previous years. OSAP rose to the number one trending topic in Canada on Twitter Wednesday night as students expressed frustration online—prompting...

The Student Choice Initiative, explained

Written on April 4, 2019. Posted in News.

When Premier Doug Ford’s government announced the establishment of the Student Choice Initiative (SCI) on Jan.17, questions abounded. Nearly three months later and after structural changes to the AMS and its services, the SCI is beginning to take shape across the province. On March 29, the Ontario...

What you need to know from February’s Senate meeting

Written on March 1, 2019. Posted in News.

During the Feb. 26 Senate meeting, the University expressed plans to support student enrollment next year through direct communication and financial support programs. The Provost’s official recommendations for the University’s response to the reduction in tuition revenues are still pending. However,...

The Lazy Economist: The numbers behind the OSAP cuts

Written on February 5, 2019. Posted in Columns.

After the controversy surrounding the Ford government’s recent changes to OSAP, we’re going to run you through some of the numbers that led the government to justify its decision, and cover what we do and don’t know about how this will impact access to higher education. The proposed changes to OSAP...

Senate Recap: January 29

Written on February 1, 2019. Posted in News, University.

Senate addressed the potential hit to revenue stemming from Ontario’s recent OSAP changes in Tuesday’s meeting. Prinicipal Daniel Woolf and Vice-Principal (Academic) Tom Harris opened up about the provincial government’s Jan. 17 announcement pertaining to tuition reduction, changes to OSAP, and...

‘More questions than answers’: student governments parse OSAP changes

Written on January 25, 2019. Posted in News.

As the structure of Ontario’s university finances changes, the AMS and SGPS are in the dark on the specifics. The provincial government announced major changes to the framework of post-secondary education on Jan. 17, ranging from alterations to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), mandatory...

Ontario addresses changes to OSAP

Written on January 25, 2019. Posted in News.

Minister Merrilee Fullerton is standing by the Province’s “historic reforms” to OSAP in response to a list of questions from The Journal. Fullerton wrote the changes are intended to refocus support to low-income families. “We are restoring accountability, affordability, and access to postsecondary...

Students to protest OSAP changes on campus

Written on January 22, 2019. Posted in News.

Last Thursday, Ontario’s government released sweeping changes to OSAP—and on Tuesday Queen’s students will take to University and Union to protest the decision. Following the Ford government’s announced changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program, students Samantha Hartmann, ArtSci ’19, and...

Tuition cuts miss the mark

Written on January 22, 2019. Posted in Opinions.

The cost of higher education is arguably the most important political issue student’s face. Many of us take on significant debt, live in poor housing, and work long hours to compensate for high tuition rates. But the recent decision by the Ontario government to slash university and college tuition...

AMS Assembly Recap: Jan 17

Written on January 22, 2019. Posted in News.

Last Thursday’s AMS assembly began with a presentation from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) President Danny Chang and Vice President of Administration and Human Resources, Julia Göllner. After assembly members expressed concern about the Ford government’s OSAP announcements, which...

Province to cut tuition costs by 10 per cent, nix free tuition

Written on January 18, 2019. Posted in News, University.

The province announced new changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Plan (OSAP) on Thursday that—while proposing cuts to tuition—could see out-of-pocket student fees increase. In a press release, the Ontario government announced their pledge to reduce the costs of publically-assisted college and...

Ontario’s plan to cut free tuition stifles our economic progress

Written on October 30, 2018. Posted in Opinions.

The Ontario Government’s silence on the status of free tuition fuels unease and stifles the potential of students in Ontario. On Oct. 24, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, Merrilee Fullerton, left the door open to cutting the province’s current free tuition program. Fullerton evaded...

Low-income students should have the right to pay tuition themselves

Written on October 19, 2018. Posted in Editorials.

Using student loans to pay tuition fees enables students to spend money responsibly. Taking that ability away manifests stereotypes about how low-income students can’t manage their money. Before the 2018 school year, students could choose to allow the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) to...

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne hosts town hall on campus

Written on February 15, 2018. Posted in News.

Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne visited campus on Wednesday afternoon to give students the opportunity to speak their minds on the most pressing issues facing them today. Kingston and the Islands MPP Sophie Kiwala introduced Wynne to a sizeable crowd in Wallace Hall and said, “if there is anybody,...

Q&A with Kingston & the Islands MPP Sophie Kiwala

Written on September 18, 2017. Posted in News.

Liberal MPP Sophie Kiwala (Kingston & the Islands) sat down with The Journal for a Q&A about the Ontario government’s many recent policy endeavours. Kiwala was elected to the Ontario Legislative Assembly in June 2014 and is an active member in Kathleen Wynne’s government, holding positions...

6,000 Kingston students receiving free tuition this year with new OSAP

Written on September 14, 2017. Posted in News.

This year more than 6,000 postsecondary students in Kingston received free tuition through new changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), according to the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development. The changes were implemented in February 2016, with Ontario Premier Kathleen...

OSAP can leave gap for students to fill

Written on July 30, 2012. Posted in In Focus.

Summar Bourada’s dreams of becoming a student at Queen’s wouldn’t have come true if it weren’t for OSAP. Bourada, ArtSci ’15 is among 40 per cent of Queen’s students receiving financial assistance, and paying for her education hasn’t been an easy task. OSAP, the Ontario Student Assistance Program,...

Stop digging

Written on February 16, 2012. Posted in Editorials.

This semester marks the first opportunity to receive the 30 per cent off Ontario tuition grant — a promise the Liberals made this fall in provincial elections. If you’re one of the students who received the rebate last week, congratulations. The newly-published Drummond Report calls for the cancellation...

Tag: OSAP

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