The Ontario Liberal Party has raised concerns about the Ford government’s alleged links to private career colleges that have been excluded from the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) until 2030.
According to the Liberal party, government inspectors visited the Academy of Learning, and shortly after, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria and MP Amarjot Sandhu attended a campus opening event.
Furthermore, it was revealed that the co-founders of Opulence Education Group, owners of the Academy of Learning, have donated over $8,000 to the PC Party since 2024.
Government inspections discovered irregularities such as entire courses being completed in a single day at some career colleges. As a result, six institutions had their OSAP funding revoked for the current academic year.
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has extended the ban on OSAP access for three Academy of Learning branches for an additional three years.
Recent data shows that the three Academy of Learning locations received a significant portion of the total provincial OSAP grants allocated to career colleges in the 2024-2025 academic year.
In response, Tyler Watt, the Liberal party’s critic for Training, Colleges and Universities, expressed concerns over the political connections influencing the situation.
Following the announcement that the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will investigate the matter, all career colleges have been temporarily prohibited from receiving student funding.
Interim Liberal leader John Fraser criticized the government’s handling of the situation, highlighting the impact on students.
The Academy of Learning defended itself by stating that it complies with lobbying and political financing regulations, emphasizing that political contributions are personal and transparent. The institution expressed disappointment over being denied approval to participate in OSAP.
Minister Quinn’s office clarified that the suspensions were part of corrective measures due to non-compliance before the sector-wide pause on OSAP was implemented.
