Queen's students pay tuition cut forward to ease OSAP sting
Angry over the province's cuts to student assistance, a group of Queen's University students are digging into their own pockets to help their peers.
Earlier this year, the provincial government made significant changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), which is leaving most students with less funding overall and getting more of it in loans instead of grants.
Ben Dinsdale, who recently finished his third year at Queen's, said it has left many students on campus worried about their finances.
"Students were incredibly disappointed and angry when these changes were announced," he said on CBC Radio's All In A Day.
Ontario's Ministry of Training, College and Universities has said the previous Liberal government's OSAP spending was not sustainable and it was restructured to support students who need it the most.
Dinsdale said he covers his tuition with summer jobs and help from his family and wanted to help other students.
"I was looking for something concrete," he said.
The provincial government also reduced tuition costs by 10 per cent and Dinsdale said a friend suggested using that rebate to help other students.
They are launching a group called Students for Students and plan to donate funds to create student bursaries for those who need them.
50% of Queen's gets OSAP
Dinsdale said the rebate will mean between $600 and $700 for him and he wants to share it with students who need the support.
He said about half of Queen's students don't rely on any student assistance and, even if they donated part of that rebate, it could be a major fund.
"If [they] even put $100 toward this kind of bursary program, that is a huge difference," he said.
"That can help make a massive impact on the financial reality of students who do need that support."
He said he understands many students will be hanging on to their rebate because they need to, but the hope is that people will want to help.
"We really think that by getting that momentum going we can help those students."
Otherwise, he said some are contemplating switching universities to be closer to home or abandoning their degrees.
