Ontario Liberals allege Ford government has political ties to colleges under OSAP probe

As the Ford government grapples with an OSAP controversy involving private career colleges, the Progressive Conservatives face fresh accusations of political ties to operators of some schools under scrutiny. In early October, the government suspended six private career colleges from OSAP eligibility and launched a sector-wide audit into possible misuse of taxpayer money. Internal investigations had found that some colleges’ actions may have involved criminality. The findings were referred to the Ontario Provincial Police, which is deciding whether to launch a full criminal investigation.

The Ontario Liberals are questioning why the government did not act sooner despite receiving warnings from a career college advocacy group as early as 2023. They accuse the Progressive Conservatives of turning a blind eye. Tyler Watt, the Liberal critic for universities and colleges, alleged Wednesday that cabinet ministers attended the campus opening of one suspected college just months after government inspectors had probed the school. Elections Ontario records show the founders of one private career college have donated to the PC Party since 2024. Public lobbying records show that the same school hired lobbyists who previously worked in the premier’s office.

Liberal Leader John Fraser told reporters that, at best, the situation reflects incompetence and mismanagement, and at worst, potential corruption. Fraser and Watt are also calling for Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn to resign. Fraser said Quinn had not done his job and should step down, adding that the province needs someone who will take control of what he called an “absolute dumpster fire.”

The allegations come as the government takes further steps to limit the damage. The Canadian Press reported Wednesday that Quinn barred three career colleges from offering publicly funded student assistance until 2030. Those colleges had previously been blocked for only one year.

Ontario currently has 242 career colleges eligible to receive OSAP, and all have now been cut off from the provincial program. Fraser said the move has left students without promised funding just weeks into the school year, with many unable to pay for housing and food. Career Colleges Ontario, an association representing hundreds of institutions, is urging the Ford government to reinstate financial aid for students who had already been approved.

Quinn said last week that an internal investigation found “unusually high concentrations of OSAP applications submitted from the same geographic locations.” He also pointed to “immigration services firms” directly tied to or co-owned by some of the career colleges under investigation. The government referred the findings to audit firm KPMG for further examination. Quinn said the government had also reported the matter to the OPP and the Auditor General. The OPP is still deciding whether to investigate. Ontario’s Auditor General told Global News the office had received only a “notification” from the government, which stopped short of requesting a formal value-for-money audit.