On Thursday, 12 February 2026, the Ontario government announced a significant overhaul to postsecondary education funding in the province’s history.
Targeted to be effective from Fall 2026, sweeping changes are anticipated on the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), marking the end of a 7-year tuition freeze. It comes with a massive USD 8.704 (Can$ 6.4) billion injection into colleges and universities. It would reshape how hundreds of thousands of Ontario students pay for and access higher education.
For Ontario students currently enrolled or planning to attend college or university that is to commence in the 2026-2027 academic year, these changes will directly impact the quantum of the financial aid they receive. Additionally, these changes will influence the type of financial aid they receive and the amount of tuition they may have to pay.
The announcement was made on Thursday, 12 February 2026, by Ontario’s Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence, and Security, Nolan Quinn. This was alongside Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. This news has already sparked intense debate amongst student groups, educators, and opposition politicians.
More details on the new Ontario OSAP changes for 2026 will review aspects of who will be affected, what the new grant-to-loan ratio means for one’s wallet, and how to prepare for the upcoming academic year.
What are the new OSAP changes for 2026-’27?
The most significant OSAP change for the 2026-27 academic year is a dramatic transformation in financing. The financial aid package may include a ratio of grants to loans for students.
In the current OSAP framework, eligible students may receive up to 85% of their provincial student aid in the form of non-repayable grants.
At least 15% of the total is made up of loans that need to be paid back after graduation.
Commencing during Fall 2026, that ratio is being essentially reversed. Students are now expected to receive a maximum of 25% of their OSAP funding as grants and a minimum of 75% as loans.
This change represents one of the most dramatic shifts in OSAP’s funding structure in the entire program’s history.
In practical terms, this would mean that a student who previously received USD 13,600 (Can$ 10,000) in OSAP funding might have gotten up to USD 11,500 (Can$ 8,500) as a grant they never had to repay.
Under this new structure, that same student may receive a maximum of USD 3,400 (Can$ 2,500) in grants, with at least USD 10,200 (Can$ 7,500) coming as a repayable loan.
The Ontario government has announced that students will continue to be assessed based on financial need. The total amount of aid a student is eligible for may not change.
The composition of the aid, such as how much is a grant versus a loan, seems to be shifting dramatically towards loans.
OSAP changes private career college students
Students attending Ontario’s private career colleges are likely to face even steeper changes. Beginning in the 2026–’27 ’academic year, private career college students will no longer be eligible for any OASP grants whatsoever.
All provincial student aid will be delivered entirely in the form of repayable loans.
This change aligns with a similar working model made by the federal government regarding its own student funding programs.
Students presently attending Ontario’s private career colleges or those intending to enroll in such institutions for the Fall 2026 semester would need to plan their finances accordingly. They would also need to explore alternative sources of grants and scholarships that may be available outside the OSAP system.
Ontario tuition freeze ending in Fall 2026
With the OSAP restructuring, the Ontario government has announced the end of its 7-year tuition freeze for domestic students at publicly assisted colleges & universities.
The freeze was implemented after the Progressive Conservative party won the 2018 provincial election. It initially included a 10% tuition cut, which was followed by a multi-year freeze that kept tuition at 2019-’20 levels.
