Ontario Career College Sees 6,000% Jump in OSAP Usage, Avoids Spring Cutoff

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OSAP Financial Aid at Ontario College Rises Dramatically

The Canadian College of Business, Science and Technology, which operates four campuses in the Greater Toronto Area, experienced a dramatic surge in students accessing the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) between 2021-22 and 2024-25. According to data obtained by The Canadian Press via a freedom-of-information request, the number of students receiving OSAP at the college grew from 562 to 17,157 over three years, marking an increase of nearly 3,000 per cent.

Exceptional Increases at Specific Campuses

At one campus, OSAP usage soared from 74 students in 2021-22 to 4,481 in 2024-25, an increase of 5,955 per cent. Provincial grants for students at this single campus grew more than 8,000 per cent during the same period, reaching $39 million. Collectively, students at the college’s four campuses accounted for approximately $151 million in provincial grants in 2024-25.

Explosion Driven by Online Program Enrollment

The majority of the growth in OSAP usage at the Canadian College of Business, Science and Technology was attributed to online enrolment. In 2024-25, more than 97 per cent of OSAP recipients at the school were enrolled online, compared to just six per cent in 2021-22, highlighting a significant shift toward digital learning models.

Government Response and Oversight Criticism

Despite these exceptional increases, the college was not among the six institutions that Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn made ineligible for OSAP in May. Those cuts affected four Academy of Learning locations and two Citi College of Canadian Careers campuses, based on concerns about admissions practices. Opponents in the legislature, including NDP critic Peggy Sattler and Liberal critic Tyler Watt, have questioned why the government failed to act when such extraordinary growth numbers had emerged.

Minister Quinn has stated that the ministry began receiving significant concerns in late 2024 and subsequently conducted targeted inspections in the summer of 2025. Earlier this year, the ministry limited all career colleges to OSAP loans only, removing their grant eligibility, and in May cut six schools from OSAP altogether. Quinn has defended these actions in legislative debates, rejecting accusations of negligence.

Ongoing Audit and Legislative Changes

As of early October, OSAP payments to all career colleges and private post-secondary institutions were paused pending the outcome of a sector-wide audit by KPMG. Quinn announced new legislation that will propose a cap on OSAP-funded enrolment growth at career colleges and ban online-only programs from OSAP eligibility in an effort to enhance accountability in the post-secondary education sector.

Sector Responses and Future Compliance

Citi College contends that its growth was tied to job market demands, arguing that a more accurate measurement would show a compound annual growth rate of 38 per cent with pre-pandemic figures. Academy of Learning attributes its increased enrolment to growth among newcomers and adults retraining for new careers.

Career Colleges Ontario conducted a membership review and, as of September 1, has removed the Canadian College of Business, Science and Technology from its association, without disclosing the reasons.

The federal government noted it flagged the schools that Ontario ultimately made ineligible for OSAP, but did not specify why this particular college was not included. Federal and provincial officials emphasized ongoing cooperation to monitor compliance and maintain the integrity of student financial assistance programs. As of this year, private career colleges are barred from offering OSAP-funded grants and may only provide loans to students.