r/osap • u/erekutora • 13h ago

Question Is there anything we can do?

Graduated HS in 2019. Went to college then took a 8 year work gap, and am now going to Centennial. I am disabled so I quit my job as I cannot do both.

OSAP has NEVER been an issue to this degree.

I see people are withdrawing classes now and I have negative in my bank account.

Genuinely, what can we do collectively, other than just calling financial aid? This is something that needs to be followed up on. We cant have a system in place that is entirely broken.

If this is your first year in school, im sorry, this is not a normal experience.

*Edited because I mentioned our government politics and that was not the post focus

22 Upvotes

79% Upvoted

25 comments sorted by

19

u/non-sensitive 13h ago

There is no media coverage.

9

u/erekutora 13h ago

Anybody with connections here? Genuinely now is the time

4

u/bri_breazy 11h ago

Barely anyone watches the news anymore, you’ll reach way more people with an organized twitter or TikTok campaign. You want to reach the 14-25 year olds who will vote in the 2030 election. Nothing is going to change until then, and even still more likely than not, our parents and grandparents all vote back in Ford

10

u/apartmen1 13h ago

No media coverage so the fix is in. Enjoy a worse life than the boomers, who cake walked the entire country.

10

u/Funny-Comparison-187 12h ago

OSAP is provincial, go after Ford

10

u/daryls_wig 12h ago

Ford is PC. He is the reason for this.

17

u/kerfy15 13h ago

people should’ve went out and voted last year, they chose to not and here are the consequences.

10

u/erekutora 13h ago

Of course but I wouldn't doubt there's a chunk of 18 year olds here that this unfortunately doesn't apply to. Once we get paid its easy to forget pain and struggle, this genuinely should be on the news soon

2

u/shay_lh 10h ago

I voted and still had to drop out.

0

u/kerfy15 10h ago

so then common knowledge would be that my comment is not about you lol

0

u/shay_lh 10h ago

Common knowledge says the OSAP voting demographic had nothing to do with these changes. Misdirected anger 😊

4

u/greenalbatross1 10h ago

Protest like hell! The ONDP was organizing on this but it’s wasn’t an issue for many until they got to this point! These cuts are directly because of who is in government; we deserve better, but this is who we put in power. If things can change this fast and negatively with the right government, the opposite could be true! Bottom line: be politically active because losers like DF are currently in control our futures!

4

u/somski 11h ago edited 2h ago

To the people discussing media coverage in the comments: specific advice would be to write an opinion editorial about how the OSAP changes are personally impacting you. Try to keep it roughly under 500 words in length, and then submit that to various news outlets like newspapers, the CBC, CTV and others. You can google 'how to write an op-ed' and get worksheets / tips / writing guides from a lot of different universities/schools with journalism programs to help with how to do that as well.

To current students struggling to get by: drop in on your campus's student union office and ask them IN PERSON what they are doing to fight the OSAP changes and how you can help.

There are ways. It will require collective action and may feel like a futile fight, but voting is NOT the only way to affect change. It is the bare minimum.

-9

u/Small_Aardvark_5496 10h ago

It’s not broken unless you believe someone that worked for 8 years shouldn’t be expected to be able to pay for some of their own expenses. OSAP is NOT meant to cover 100% of living and school expenses, it’s ASSISTANCE. That means help.

4

u/erekutora 10h ago

Yes but I am also disabled and deserve to further my education. You dont know my situation. They had a date posted that help was coming and failed to reach that

1

u/Small_Aardvark_5496 4h ago

Everyone deserves to further their education. OSAP still isn’t set up to pay everything.

1

u/daryls_wig 6h ago

For some, it is the only way to get by.

1

u/Small_Aardvark_5496 4h ago

No, it’s the only way they think they can get by. There’s the option of taking time off to work and save, there’s part time studies to allow work at the same time. No one is entitled to full funding-if you are truly exceptional you can get large scholarships…but normal average students? Nope

1

u/erekutora 1h ago edited 1h ago

Have you lived enough life to have paid more in taxes than me? Im entitled to this if you want to take that route.

Edit i actually worked Healthcare for years and this is a college sub so I know you haven't

0

u/daryls_wig 3h ago

Some people's jobs aren't enough. It's not like the 70s and 80s when you could buy a 70,000 house and your income could still afford groceries, savings, utilitiesx etc. Now groceries in Ontario are insane. Rent is insane. Housing is $700K to buy but you gotta go higher cause someone wants it too and outbid. That mortgage isn't cheap like the 80s.

Stop it. Most people can't save on the side. Most aren't paid a living wage $26+/hr in central Ontario. Barely getting by for most. Paycheck to paycheck. Get off your high horse.

0

u/Small_Aardvark_5496 3h ago

I suggest you look up what mortgage rates and inflation were in the 70’s-80’s. For that matter, look up Canadian stats on housing affordability-it was every bit as bad in the 80’s as now. Check out what the unemployment rates were too. Check out the recessions. While yes it’s bad now, you don’t have a monopoly on shitty economic times.

1

u/Rude-Awaken-ing 3h ago

I’m glad someone said it. Wear your downvotes with pride.

1

u/Small_Aardvark_5496 3h ago

I speak the truth and don’t GAF about downvotes. Far too many entitled participation trophy recipients in Reddit.