Funding freeze leaves private career college students in limbo

Funding freeze leaves private career college students in limbo

Students scrambling to pay tuition, rent after province pauses payments

Students attending private career colleges in Ontario say they're facing financial uncertainty after the provincial government paused Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) payments for those attending the institutions.

The province announced the freeze earlier this week, citing serious concerns about how student assistance funding was being used in the private post-secondary sector.

But students say they're now paying the price for problems they had nothing to do with.

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At Ottawa's Richard Robinson Fashion Design Academy, first-year student Ameera Kaddah says she's scrambling to find money to continue her education.

"I'm thinking about the tuition like every day, like every single minute," she said. "I'm struggling with that."

Kaddah says she's borrowed money and is considering selling valuable possessions like gold jewelry to cover her tuition. Even if she finds a way to pay the fees, she's worried about what comes next.

"If I sell my gold I can pay for this year, but for the next year it will be a big problem for me," she said.

The fashion academy on Sussex Drive, which has trained students for 50 years, is among the institutions offering payment plans to help students continue their studies.

Owner Renée Berezowski said the students are passionate about their education and shouldn't be penalized for concerns about other institutions.

"Each institution is unique and we shouldn't all be painted with same brush," she said.

OSAP freeze leaves private career college students in limbo

At Algonquin Careers Academy where paralegals, personal support workers, pharmacy technicians and others receive their training, students gathered at a news conference Friday to express their frustration.

"I can't pay my rent for October. I don't know what I'm going to do for November," said paralegal student Kaitlynn Ford through tears.

Her classmate Tricia Tengalia said she and other students had "literally put our lives on hold for a year" to attend the college.

The funding freeze follows a provincial audit that raised concerns about the use of OSAP funding in the private college sector. Ontario Provincial Police are doing their own investigation.

Opposition politicians who joined the students at Friday's news conference said any wrongdoing should be investigated without jeopardizing students' education.

"When you only had a handful of bad actors that need to be investigated, cut it off to them — but not these ones," said Nepean MPP Tyler Watt, the Ontario Liberal critic for colleges and universities.

Berezowski said her fashion institute would welcome provincial scrutinty, but wants schools assessed individually rather than collectively punished.

"It's unfortunate that the decisions were made the way they were made," she said.

David Fraser is an Ottawa-based journalist for CBC News who previously reported in Alberta and Saskatchewan.