Queen’s Park rally set for March 4 as high schools plan coordinated protests later this month
High school and post-secondary students across Ontario are organizing walkouts and rallies in response to recent changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) announced by Premier Doug Ford’s government.
Demonstrations began this week, with students in Durham Region holding a walkout on Monday. Protests were also held over the weekend in London and Hamilton, with more events scheduled throughout March.
The controversy follows a Feb. 12 announcement that the province will lift a seven-year tuition freeze and significantly adjust the structure of OSAP funding.
Under the new framework, eligible students will have 25 per cent of their OSAP funding provided as a non-repayable grant, while 75 per cent will be issued as a loan. Previously, as much as 85 per cent of funding could be forgiven as a grant, with only the remaining portion requiring repayment.
The province also confirmed that grants will no longer be available to students attending private career colleges.
Student leaders argue the shift from grants to loans will disproportionately affect those from lower-income backgrounds.
Sayak Sneddon-Ghosal, president of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance, said in a news release that the changes risk increasing financial barriers for students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
Adding to frustration, the province’s OSAP Aid Estimator tool has not yet been updated to reflect the 2026–27 academic year, meaning students cannot currently calculate how much funding they may qualify for in September. The government website indicates updated estimates will be available in spring 2026. Meanwhile, the loan repayment calculator remains active.
A major rally is planned for Wednesday, March 4, at Queen’s Park in Toronto. Organized by Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, the demonstration is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m.
Student associations from institutions including Trent University, the University of Guelph and Durham College are arranging transportation for participants. University of Waterloo students are planning to gather at the arts quad before heading to the rally, while McMaster University students associated with Hamilton Students Against Austerity are organizing a protest on March 5.
High school students are also mobilizing.
An organized provincewide walkout is planned for Wednesday, March 11, at 12:30 p.m., coordinated by the social media group @studentsjustwannahavefunds. Participants are being encouraged to rally at local MPP offices or approved school locations.
Additional walkouts are being planned in communities including Barrie, Cobourg, Leamington, Peterborough, Picton and Kingston. In Hamilton, students at Glendale Secondary School are organizing a protest for Friday, March 13.
Organizers say the demonstrations are intended to pressure the provincial government to reconsider the funding changes, which they argue could increase student debt and limit access to higher education.
As rallies continue across the province, the debate over tuition policy and student financial aid is likely to remain a central issue for Ontario’s education sector in the months ahead.