A Letter From Our SSU Student Executive Director & Board Addressing the Recent OSAP Reforms

On February 12th, 2026, the Government of Ontario announced significant changes to the province’s post-secondary funding model and the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), set to take effect beginning in the Fall 2026 academic year. As an organization that fundamentally believes that all students have a right to access quality education, we recognize that we are in a critical time in history. While institutional sustainability is important, student affordability should remain central to Ontario’s education strategy.

The Government of Ontario’s stated a commitment to strengthening the postsecondary sector through its recent announcement of $6.4 billion in new funding and a long-term sustainability framework. We believe that supporting Ontario’s colleges, universities, and Indigenous Institutes is essential to ensuring students can access high-quality education and contribute meaningfully to the province’s economic future.

Still, the Sheridan Student Union has significant concerns about the restructuring of the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). The shift to a maximum of 25 per cent grants and a minimum of 75 per cent loans beginning in Fall 2026, increases the financial burden for students at a time of already unprecedented economic strain. These reforms must be reconsidered to safeguard affordability and access to education.

Students are already navigating rising housing costs, food insecurity, transportation expenses, and increasing tuition pressures. Shifting the approach for financial aid toward more loans increases debt, financial stress, and uncertainty at a time when students need stability and support.

When financial barriers limit opportunities for students to have a post-secondary education, they also lose access to the broader supports that colleges provide. Colleges are more than classrooms; and our role within them is to offer mental health services, food insecurity initiatives, accessibility and accommodation supports, peer mentorship, and academic advising. These services are critical to student success. Reducing access to education also reduces access to these lifelines.

No student should be forced to choose between education and financial survival.

In solidarity,

Your SSU Student Executive Director & SSU Board 2025-2026

How We Are Advocating For You

Your Student Executive Director, Samiya Khan, recently spoke at a press conference at Queen’s Park to highlight the impact these changes may have on student affordability and access. While in an interview with the City of Toronto News, Samiya highlighted how these reforms will have devastating effects on our student experience. As a Board Member with Ontario Student Voices (OSV), she continues to work alongside provincial student leaders to ensure student voices remain central in discussions with government decision-makers.

OSV has already released a formal statement, engaged in media efforts, launched a province-wide petition and letter-writing campaign, and begun gathering student feedback to inform ongoing policy work.

Your SSU Executive Team will be working closely with OSV on these initiatives and spearheading outreach across all three campuses.
SSU is also collecting student testimonals to support with an upcoming OSV campaign.
If you will personally be impacted by the OSAP changes and feel comfortable sharing your experience, share your testimonal by March 11, 2026 at 3pm.
Join the OSV letter-writing campaign to email your local MPP: Click here for more details

Moving Forward

The Sheridan Student Union remains committed to advocating for accessible, affordable, and equitable post-secondary education. We will continue monitoring updates, organizing advocacy efforts, and keeping students informed as more details become available.

Students deserve an education system that expands opportunity — not one that deepens financial hardship.