OSAP Changes: What Reduced Grants and Program Cuts Mean for Newcomers Like Me

When I landed in Canada, I didn’t arrive with a safety net.

I arrived with two suitcases, foreign credentials, and a quiet promise to myself: Hindi ako susuko.

Like many newcomers, I quickly realized that if I wanted to practice in a regulated field, I needed Canadian education. So I enrolled in a Paralegal Diploma program — and I was only able to do that because of the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP).

That support changed my life.

So when I hear about reductions in grants and shifts toward more loans, I don’t just see policy changes. I see real people whose timelines, confidence, and futures may be affected.

Personal ito.

Standing With Migrant Workers When the System Falls Short

A recent report from the Toronto Region Board of Trade argues that the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program is failing Ontario’s economy and needs a serious overhaul. Business leaders are concerned about labour shortages, inefficiencies, and missed economic opportunities.

United Immigrant Workers Front (UIWF)

Canada invited international students and workers with promises of opportunity and pathways to stay. They showed up. They studied. They worked. They paid billions into the economy. During COVID, sila ang nasa frontline. Healthcare, food supply, warehouses, transit. They kept the country running.

Then midway, the rules changed.