AI-generated illustration; not a photograph of the reported event.
- calendar_today October 27, 2026
Growing Scrutiny Over OSAP Payments to Private Career Colleges
Ontario's government, led by Premier Doug Ford, is under increased scrutiny for its management of the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) payments to private career colleges. Critics claim the government failed to properly oversee substantial public funds and left students footing the bill after policy changes and investigations. The following timeline details key developments, drawing primarily from court documents and government records, particularly as Academy of Learning locations fight to retain OSAP eligibility.
2020: Online-Only Programs Qualify for OSAP
In 2020, Ontario expanded OSAP eligibility to include online-only programs, even those without live instruction. This policy change extended financial aid access to more post-secondary options but also became a focal point in later oversight concerns.
2023: Early Signs of Trouble
In January 2023, Career Colleges Ontario raised concerns with the government about indicators that suggested possible suspicious activity related to OSAP payments at certain institutions. These concerns were reiterated in meetings in May and November that year.
2024–2025: Ministry Inspections and Anomalies Identified
On October 1, 2024, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities sent routine inspection notices to Academy of Learning campuses on Bay Street (Toronto) and Brampton East. By January 15, 2025, Career Colleges Ontario formally identified ten schools—with the two Academy of Learning locations among them—as showing significant anomalies in OSAP usage, though the other schools remained unnamed in public documents.
In May 2025, the federal government shared similar concerns regarding several schools, including these two locations. Shortly after, the Ministry began in-person inspections at the Bay Street location (July 2025) and notified Brampton East about inspection plans in August 2025, apologizing for delays caused by procedural changes. Despite these ongoing reviews, both locations were approved for OSAP for the 2025-26 year on August 8, 2025.
Late 2025–Early 2026: Findings Escalate and Student Funding Tightens
On September 17, 2025, the Ministry presented its Bay Street inspection report to Academy of Learning, alleging evidence of third parties completing coursework and some students being unfamiliar with their own institutions. In December 2025, the Ministry tasked its forensic investigation team to further strengthen its oversight of OSAP and private career colleges.
Due to growing pressures on the system, Minister Nolan Quinn announced major changes on February 12, 2026: career college students would no longer be eligible for OSAP grants, and grant funding for students in publicly funded institutions would drop from 85% to 25%. On February 26, Career Colleges Ontario again asked the ministry to investigate 14 campuses with flagged OSAP activity.
By March 9, 2026, the Brampton East inspection report described compromised student participation in asynchronous online programs.
Mid–Late 2026: Audit, Police Referral, and Province-wide Pause
On May 1, 2026, the Ministry determined that both Academy of Learning sites, and several other schools, would not be eligible for OSAP for the 2026-27 year. The affected institutions have since taken legal action over the decision. A broader audit was ordered in August 2026, when the Ministry engaged KPMG to assess OSAP usage at private post-secondary institutions.
Preliminary audit findings, shared with the Ontario Provincial Police on October 2, 2026, highlighted that many concerns were linked to online-only programs. By October 6, Minister Quinn announced a province-wide pause on OSAP payments to all private post-secondary institutions, leaving thousands of students uncertain about their funding.
Ministry inspectors began visiting eight additional career colleges in October, though their identities were not publicly disclosed. That fall, the Ontario government signaled its intent to table legislation excluding predominantly online-only programs at career colleges from OSAP eligibility.
Ongoing Challenges
Academy of Learning has denied any wrongdoing, emphasizing it has implemented numerous corrective measures in response to the Ministry's concerns. The government's allegations remain unproven in court. Meanwhile, the debate continues over the balance of expanding educational access through online programs and ensuring robust oversight to prevent potential OSAP misuse or fraud.
Source: toronto.citynews.ca.
