On the Restructuring of OSAP and the End of the Tuition Freeze

The Executive Committee of the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU), representing over 22,000 graduate students across four campuses, opposes the Ontario government’s decision to restructure OSAP from a grants-based to a loans-based program and to end the seven-year tuition fees freeze. We acknowledge the $6.4 billion institutional investment as a necessary correction after years of chronic underfunding of public post-secondary education [1]. But we cannot accept that the cost of this correction is being passed on to students, particularly those least able to bear it.

The scale of the shift is severe. Starting Fall 2026, OSAP’s maximum grant proportion drops from 85% to just 25%, with a minimum of 75% now issued as repayable loans [1]. This is not a marginal adjustment. It is a structural reversal of the student financial aid model. By one estimate, the average OSAP-receiving student will graduate with over $7,200 in additional debt [2]. For many graduate students, this additional burden is already on top of debt incurred during their undergraduate studies. Further, for graduate students whose programs run longer and whose earning years are further deferred, the cumulative burden is far greater. A Master’s student relying on OSAP over two years of study, and a doctoral student over four to six, will accumulate significant debt during precisely the years they are contributing most to Ontario’s research and innovation capacity.

Graduate students face a distinct set of pressures. Many of our members are already navigating inadequate or non-existent stipends/grants and rising housing costs in Toronto, in a labour market where youth unemployment reached 14.7% in Ontario in September 2025, a 15-year high outside the pandemic years [3]. Even among young adults aged 20 to 29 holding a bachelor’s degree or higher, unemployment has climbed to 8.1% [4]. Our own Cost of Living Survey, drawing on 2,560 responses, documented the financial precarity that defines graduate life at the University of Toronto [5]. The UTGSU fought for and secured a long-overdue increase in base PhD and SJD funding to $40,000, yet implementation remains uneven, and unfunded Master’s students were excluded entirely [6]. Converting grants into loans against this backdrop does not “strengthen sustainability.” It transfers public responsibility onto the individuals who can least afford it.

The policy is also self-defeating. The Premier has urged students to pursue STEM, health care, and trades [7], fields in which graduate training is essential and tuition is highest. Students in these very programs have said the OSAP changes will make it harder to continue their studies [8]. Ontario already provides the lowest per-capita funding for post-secondary education of any province in Canada [9]. These changes do not close that gap. They redirect it onto individual students and their families.

We call on the Government of Ontario to reverse the OSAP grant-to-loan restructuring immediately and to maintain the tuition freeze until a genuinely sustainable funding model, one that does not offload costs onto students, is developed in meaningful consultation with student representatives.

We call on the University of Toronto to publicly oppose these changes, to commit to shielding students from tuition increases through expanded institutional aid, and to ensure the base funding increase is implemented equitably across all graduate programs.

The UTGSU will continue to work alongside peer students’ unions across Ontario, and our institutional partners to advocate for accessible, publicly funded graduate education. We will pursue every avenue available: at Queen’s Park, within the university, and in coalition with rank and file students province-wide.

Our members deserve better. Ontario’s future depends on it.

The Executive Committee of the UTGSU

Contact: president@utgsu.ca

References

[1] Ontario Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, “Ontario’s Plan for Long-Term Sustainability in Post-Secondary Education,” February 12, 2026. Reported in CBC News, “Tuition set to rise, OSAP grants lower with new Ontario post-secondary funding changes,” February 12, 2026.

[2] Central Student Association, University of Guelph. Reported in GuelphToday, “Students concerned about rising debt burdens amid Ontario OSAP, tuition changes,” February 13, 2026.

[3] Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, December 2025. See also CCPA, “Youth unemployment is approaching a boiling point in Ontario,” November 2025.

[4] Career Edge, “How Can You Turn Youth Employment Crisis Into Opportunity,” citing Statistics Canada data, September 2025.

[5] UTGSU Cost of Living Survey, 2023-2025.

[6] UTGSU, “40k is 40k, Statement regarding Base Funding Increase,” 2025.

[7] CBC News, “Ford continues to defend OSAP cuts despite student outcry,” February 18, 2026.

[8] CBC News, “‘I’m a guy trying to be a nurse’: Why Ford’s OSAP changes may make it harder to get in-demand jobs,” February 19, 2026.

[9] Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario, Media Release, February 12, 2026. See also Ontario Green Party, “Reverse the OSAP Cuts,” February 2026.

Statement of Support for Iranian Students Amid Communication Disruptions

Dear University of Toronto Graduate Student Community,

We are writing to acknowledge the deeply difficult circumstances many of our Iranian students are currently facing. With widespread internet blackouts and communication disruptions across Iran, we understand that many of you are unable to reach your families and loved ones. We see you, and we are here for you. Being far from home, unable to confirm the safety of those you care about, is isolating and overwhelming. Your feelings are valid, and you do not have to navigate this alone.

The UTGSU is actively engaging with university administration to advocate for flexibility and accommodations for affected students. We are asking departments, supervisors, and faculty to extend compassion regarding deadlines, attendance, and research expectations during this time.

How UTGSU Can Support You

If you are struggling with coursework, research, or other academic responsibilities right now, we get it. The UTGSU recommends contacting your instructors, supervisors and academic departments to proactively request academic accommodations and support that you need. If you need support in reaching out to your department, supervisor, or professors to request accommodations or support, we are here to help you . 

Free Resources Available

UTGSU Emergency Grant

If you are facing financial hardship due to this crisis, whether from unexpected travel needs, emergency costs, or loss of income, you may be eligible for our Emergency Grant of up to $1,000. Learn more and apply: https://utgsu.ca/services-grants/grants-bursaries/utgsu-emergency-grant/

You are a valued member of our community. Please do not hesitate to reach out.

In solidarity,

Executive Committee University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU)

40k is 40k – Statement regarding Base Funding Increase

Since the summer of 2024 the UTGSU Base Funding Committee (BFC) has shared a petition with over 2500 graduate student signatures stating:

“We, the undersigned University of Toronto graduate students, respectfully demand that the University increase the base funding to all graduate students in the funded cohorts to a minimum of $40,000 per year, with no less than $30,000 of that sum achieved without additional labour which does not contribute towards graduation, while providing annual increases as necessary to keep pace with inflation moving forward.”

Only the first of these three demands have begun to be addressed, and only to a subset of the funded cohort. We reaffirm our belief that this funding increase should apply to all students who receive stipends, such as research-stream master’s students.

What we are seeing now are the consequences of a lack of guidelines regarding the implementation of this increase in the addition of non-thesis labour into funding packages. Without a commitment from central administration to annual increases in funding, graduate students remain vulnerable to financial insecurity due to the rising cost of living. Read the full statement below:

Letter on Base Funding Increases

The Graduate Student community at UofT welcomed the November 2024 announcement of an increase in base funding to all funded PhD and SJD programs. Though master’s students and other unfunded graduate students who face the same pressures from the rising cost of living were left out, this marked the first meaningful change in graduate program funding in a decade.

However, it has become clear that there is no plan to implement this funding increase. The burden of this funding increase is being deflected to the departments, who in turn are clawing back as much of the 40k as possible from supervisor’s grant funds, merit-based awards, and teaching assistant work.

Many departments are scrambling to make up the difference through mechanisms that risk substantial negative consequences for research and teaching at the university. Some of these proposed measures include:

The 40k base funding is critical to ensuring graduate students can live, work, and learn in Toronto, but there is no feasible path to this goal without the central administration providing the necessary funds and guardrails. In particular, this increase cannot come at the cost of clawbacks of other funding sources at the university, faculty, or department level. Our call is simple: the University’s central administration introduced the changes–they should pay for it.

Signatories:

Statement of Support for Students Affected by the Iran-Israel Conflict

Dear University of Toronto Graduate Student Community,

As the Executive Committee of the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union, we write with deep concern and solidarity regarding the escalating conflict involving Iran and Israel and the profound impact it is having on our student community, particularly our Iranian students who have reached out to us seeking support during this crisis.

To our Iranian students and all those affected by this crisis: we see you, we hear you, and we stand with you during this incredibly difficult time. While we have primarily heard from Iranian students who have reached out to share their concerns, we recognize that students from various backgrounds, including Israeli students, may be experiencing distress related to this conflict. Your courage in continuing your academic work while facing such personal turmoil is a testament to your resilience, and we want you to know that you are not alone in this struggle.

We understand that many of you may be struggling to concentrate on your studies, research, or teaching responsibilities while your hearts and minds are with your loved ones. We also know that contacting family and friends in Iran has become increasingly challenging due to widespread internet outages and communication disruptions, adding another layer of anxiety and helplessness to an already overwhelming situation. It is important to recognize that most of these affected students are international students, which compounds the difficulty of their situation: being far from home during a crisis, navigating complex visa and travel restrictions, and lacking the immediate family support systems that domestic students may have access to. The emotional and mental toll of watching your country and community under attack, while being unable to easily reach your loved ones, cannot be overstated, and we recognize the unique burden this places on students who are far from home.

A Call for Understanding and Accommodation

We call upon all university departments, supervisors, professors, and staff to extend compassion and flexibility to Iranian and other affected students during this time. We urge faculty members to:

We recognize that our Iranian students and all affected students contribute immensely to the intellectual and cultural richness of our university community. During this crisis, it is our collective responsibility to ensure they feel supported and valued.

Support Resources Available

For all UTGSU members impacted by this crisis, we genuinely want to be a source of support for you. If you are facing academic challenges, personal struggles, or need advocacy related to this situation, please know that we are here to listen, support, and advocate for you. Please reach out to us without hesitation at info@utgsu.ca.

Additionally, the following resources are available:

Immediate Support:

Additional Mental Health Resources:

Academic Support:

Our Commitment and Advocacy

The UTGSU is actively working on your behalf to ensure you receive the support and understanding you need during this crisis. We are reaching out directly to academic departments across the university and the Centre for International Experience at UofT to advocate for accommodations, flexibility, and enhanced support services for Iranian and other affected students. We are committed to ensuring that institutional policies and practices reflect the urgent need for compassion during these extraordinary circumstances.

The UTGSU remains committed to fostering an environment where all students can thrive, regardless of their background or the global circumstances affecting their communities. We will continue to monitor this situation and advocate for the needs of our Iranian students and all those impacted by international conflicts.

We encourage all members of our community to extend kindness, understanding, and solidarity to their Iranian colleagues and any others who may be affected during this time. Simple gestures of support and recognition can make an enormous difference to someone who may be struggling in isolation.

To our Iranian students and all those impacted by this conflict: your presence at this university matters, your contributions are valued, and your wellbeing is our priority. We are here for you, and we will continue to advocate for your needs throughout this difficult period.

In solidarity and support,

Executive Committee
University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU)

For immediate support or to discuss specific accommodations, please contact us at info@utgsu.ca. We welcome your input on how we can better serve our community during this challenging time.

Graduate Students Demand Action on Funding: Candidates Respond to Key Questions on Support for Academia

The GSU is reaching out to as many candidates as possible to determine their stance on graduate student funding and the UPass program. In particular, we asked about their commitment to increasing per-student funding, boosting support for graduate scholarships, and expanding research grants.

Our Letter to Candidates:

Hi [Candidate’s Name],

I’m a resident of [Riding Name] and a graduate student at the University of Toronto. Since 2017, both domestic tuition rates and the amount of funding per student at Ontario’s colleges and universities have been frozen. Ontario provides drastically lower funding per domestic student compared to other jurisdictions in Canada. This has significant consequences, including constraining universities’ ability to pay graduate students a livable wage as we teach and conduct research.

As a graduate student, I perform research that is fundamental to the operations of the university. This research plays a major role in Ontario’s economy and prestige. Adequate and stable funding for universities is crucial to training the next generation of scientists, doctors, and other essential professionals. Additionally, livable funding is necessary to attract top-tier graduate students, who are the backbone of our institutions. Without proper support, access to graduate education becomes a privilege only a few can afford.

As a resident of [Riding Name], I want to know:

Sources:
Provincial Government Blue Ribbon Commission on Education
Council of Ontario Universities (COU) Statements & Budget Submissions
Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) Statements & Budget Submissions

We encourage all graduate students to review candidate responses here:

Response Spreadsheet

UTGSU Statement on Bill 212 and the Removal of Bike Lanes

Ontario Bill 212 allows the provincial government to remove bike lanes in Toronto at their discretion, including those on College and Bloor Street on the U of T St. George campus. Many UTGSU members rely on bikes to commute to campus and navigate the city, as biking is a more climate-conscious alternative to driving. Removing established bike infrastructure would have significant environmental impacts, as bike lanes are crucial safety measures that encourage biking as a sustainable mode of transportation. Additionally, the use of Bill 212 would permit the removal of bike lanes without municipal consultation, undermining city autonomy and local democracy. Therefore, the board of the UTGSU has adopted the following stance:

“While Bill 212 is in effect, the UTGSU is opposed to the removal of any bike lanes by the provincial government. The UTGSU affirms its support for bike lanes as a safety measure for its members, allowing them to safely transit to campus by bike. The UTGSU recognizes that removing bike lanes would significantly reduce and ultimately eliminate biking as a transit option for many of its members who do not feel safe biking in shared lanes with cars.

In order to challenge Bill 212 the UTGSU will:

  1. Communicate to its provincial and municipal representatives its opposition to this bill and the removal of bike lanes around campus.
  2. Communicate to University administrators its opposition to this bill and the removal of bike lanes, and request the University join the UTGSU in its opposition.
  3. Attempt to draft an open letter or statement with other Unions on campus or in Ontario opposing Bill 212 and the removal of bike lanes.
  4. Add its name to petitions and campaigns in opposition to Bill 212 and the removal of bike lanes.
  5. Empower UTGSU executives to attend and speak on behalf of the UTGSU in rallies and other actions opposing Bill 212 and the removal of bike lanes.”

National Students’ Union Letter: Calling on the Big 5 Banks to Divest from Fossil Fuels

National Students’ Union Letter: Calling on the Big 5 Banks to Divest from Fossil Fuels

Dear RBC CEO Dave McKay, TD Bank CEO Bharat Masrani, Scotiabank CEO Scott Thomson, BMO CEO Darryl White, and CIBC CEO Victor Dodig,

As representatives of student organizations, we are joining the global call to demand banks divest from fossil fuel projects and thereby stop financing the climate crisis and the violation of Indigenous rights.

RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, and CIBC — Canada’s “Big 5” banks — are among the top global funders of fossil fuels, having financed over $1.12 trillion CAD in climate-wrecking fossil fuel projects since 2016. This financing includes key loans to the Coastal Gaslink Pipeline and Trans Mountain Pipeline, which do not have consent from and are actively opposed by Indigenous nations, including the Wet’suwet’en, and the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh respectively. 

The Big 5’s support for the fossil fuel industry stands in direct contrast to (1) their own commitments to students, and (2) higher education’s mission to prepare students for their futures. 

As student leaders, we have a responsibility to speak out. 

The Big 5’s investments threaten students’ futures by destabilizing our shared climate. This is not just a long-term threat — students are feeling the impacts of climate change now. Every year, we see deadly temperatures and catastrophic weather events overwhelming the planet.  Floods, fires, and unliveable temperatures not only interfere with students’ learning but are often detrimental to their health and wellbeing. For these reasons, students face alarming rates of anxiety due to concerns about their present and future in a rapidly warming climate. As long as powerful institutions continue to funnel billions of dollars into leading polluters, these problems will only get worse.

Bank investments in fossil fuels also contradict Canada’s commitments to Indigenous peoples as per the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. The Coastal Gaslink project faces as much opposition as ever as the company desecrates Wet’suwet’en sacred land, and the RCMP and Coastal Gaslink’s private security continue to surveil and harass land defenders. By financing projects that are opposed by Indigenous rights-holders, the Big 5 are complicit in the criminalization of Indigenous peoples for simply living on their traditional territories. We express our solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs — the recognized title holders of land over which the Coastal Gaslink pipeline route presently passes — who have been defending their territory from the pipeline for a decade and persistently pleading for investors to divest. We support the Squamish Nation, Tsleil Waututh Nation, and Secwepemc Tiny House Warriors, who oppose the Trans Mountain Pipeline, and all land defenders resisting projects on their land without their consent.

While funneling hundreds of billions into fossil fuels on the one hand, the Big 5 have deceitfully crafted an image of being leaders in the path to a sustainable future and trusted allies to youth and students. Students see through these banks’ greenwashing and recognize the deep contradiction in promoting net zero commitments and climate investments while financing the leading cause of the problem. On March 2nd, 2023, students at 11 campuses across the country hosted protests calling on RBC to divest or otherwise be removed from their campuses. We support the student activists who are raising attention to the Big 5’s failure to live up to their convictions. 

This April 2023, RBC held their AGM in Treaty 6 territory in so-called Saskatoon. Indigenous delegates, youth and climate justice organizers traveled to Saskatoon to speak as proxies at the meeting. They were met with violent segregation and policing. RBC refused to take action for climate justice, and continued to greenwash as they doubled-down on their fossil fuel lending and projects that violate Indigenous sovereignty. Similarly, the other Big Banks also neglected to take action on Indigenous rights and fossil financing at their AGM’s this spring. 

This school year we are demanding the Big 5 take the climate crisis and Indigenous rights seriously.

We call on RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, and CIBC to:

  1. Drop the Coastal Gaslink and Trans Mountain pipelines;
  2. Divest from Fossil Fuels: Immediately divest from fossil fuel expansion projects and phase out support for all fossil fuel projects by 2040;
  3. Respect Indigenous Peoples’ right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent as per the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People

We know that students are an important client demographic for banks. If these banks want to continue to receive students’ business, they will need to change their policies to reflect our values.

Until the Big 5 meet our demands, we will re-evaluate our partnerships with these banks, including bank accounts, sponsorships, and tenancy agreements, where appropriate, at each of our student organizations.

Sincerely,

UTEAU Statement on ‘User Guide to UofT Policies on Protests”

We, the undersigned members of the University of Toronto Employees’ Associations and Unions (UTEAU) coalition, which collectively represents over 100,000 students, staff, faculty, librarians, and workers across University of Toronto, are united in opposing the “User Guide to U of T Policies on Protests” issued in August 2024 and updated in late October. The User Guide directly undermines the University’s commitments to freedom of speech and academic freedom as articulated in the Statement of Institutional Purpose, the Statement on Freedom of Speech, and other related policies.

Despite its preface on the role of protest in effecting progressive change and of the rights of all UofT community members to freedom of expression, the User Guide in fact introduces a number of new limits on such expression that do not exist in current University policy. These include time restrictions, undefined limits on excessive noise, prohibitions of temporary forms of expression such as chalk and projections, and new requirements for authorization to be present on UofT premises. Of particular concern are the consequences named for being in violation of these new restrictions, including requests for campus security and municipal police service to be called on workers, students, faculty, librarians, and community members. 

In meetings between senior Administration and several of the undersigned organizations, Administrators have falsely claimed that the User Guide in fact introduces nothing new and is merely an assembly of rules from existing policies. If that is the case, the Administration can refer UofT community members directly to those existing policies if it feels such clarification is necessary. However, in creating this User Guide, the Administration has also introduced significant ambiguity in the meaning of the restrictions it names. This ambiguity only underscores our profound concerns over how the User Guide will be interpreted, especially the disciplinary measures it describes. The User Guide thus appears to be a new effort for the University to implement a system of surveillance, policing, and silencing so as to limit organizing efforts on campus. 

We therefore call on the Administration to fully rescind the User Guide, to refrain from introducing any additional policies that infringe on rights to expression and assembly, and to reaffirm its commitments to freedom of association, freedom of expression, and academic freedom for University of Toronto community members at large. 

In solidarity, 

Statement on University of Toronto Base Funding Increase

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

The University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU) Base Funding Committee welcomes the announcement from the School of Graduate Studies regarding improved funding for PhD and SJD students at the University of Toronto. Over the past year, we have been engaged in conversations with the School of Graduate Studies regarding student funding levels and we are pleased that the Administration is acting to support graduate students, whose research and teaching help give the university its international reputation. This change represents the first major funding increase in decades for U of T’s approximately 5,000 PhD and SJD funded cohort, despite the drastic rise in costs of living in Toronto that have pushed a significant proportion of graduate students into housing and food insecurity. 

This increase is the result of ongoing advocacy by and for graduate students across the university: within our departments and faculties, with the School of Graduate Studies, through collective bargaining, and through lobbying the federal government to increase national doctoral awards. If you attended a meeting, signed a petition, joined a rally, or discussed your funding situation with your fellow students and professors, you made this happen!

This announcement does, however, have shortcomings. Master’s students, who face the same cost of living pressures as PhD students, are not included in this improved funding policy. If the University of Toronto is serious about maintaining international rankings and competitive wages, funding for master’s students must increase as well. We are also concerned for students in professional programs who do not receive funding and who pay high tuition; as well as international students, who face uncertainty and financial precarity due to rapidly changing provincial and federal policy. Therefore, we call on the University Administration to not use this funding improvement as an excuse to increase already high student fees.

We look forward to continuing to work with the School of Graduate Studies, faculties, and departments to implement these changes and improve funding for all graduate students. Our priorities include:

The work of the Base Funding Committee is not over, and we encourage all graduate students and community members to stay involved in the fight for a better and more just university. The UTGSU will be hosting a Base Funding Townhall on Thursday, November 26 from 5:30pm-8:30pm at Sid Smith 1071 (hybrid) to plan the next stages of the campaign.

Contact: Julian Nickel, Vice-President Academics 3 & 4, academics3and4@utgsu.ca

The UTGSU is the University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union. Founded in 1964, the UTGSU represents more than 22,000 full-time and part-time graduate students at the University of Toronto St. George, Mississauga, Scarborough and Aerospace campuses.

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