TORONTO — Hundreds of students gathered at Queen’s Park on Tuesday to protest recent changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), voicing strong opposition to rising tuition costs and reduced grant funding.
The demonstration targeted policies introduced by the government of Doug Ford, which include unfreezing tuition fees and shifting OSAP funding more heavily toward loans rather than grants.
Under the new structure, students will now receive approximately 25 per cent of their funding as grants and 75 per cent as loans — a major change from the previous model, where grants made up the majority of support.
Protesters carried signs reading “Hands off our campuses” and chanted slogans calling for the reversal of the changes, while police and security maintained a strong presence around the legislature grounds.
The rally follows earlier demonstrations this month, including a March 4 protest that led to arrests and allegations of excessive force by organizers from the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario.
The provincial government has defended the changes, arguing that the OSAP program required reform as projected costs were expected to reach $4.1 billion annually by 2028–29.
Tensions around the protests have also raised concerns about vandalism. A statue of George Brown at Queen’s Park was previously defaced with messages directed at the premier, prompting officials to take precautionary measures ahead of the latest rally.
Eight statues on the legislature grounds were wrapped to prevent damage. Speaker Donna Skelly said the move was necessary to protect public property and avoid costly repairs.
Premier Ford also warned that while peaceful protest is welcome, vandalism will not be tolerated and could result in charges.
The protest highlights growing frustration among students over affordability in post-secondary education, as debates continue over how to balance government spending with accessible education funding in Ontario.