A grassroots coalition of students and community members in Thunder Bay is hosting an event to highlight the implications of changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program and organize students to protest.
“Save OSAP: Empowering Students” event is scheduled to take place on May 8 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the OPSEU Thunder Bay building at 326 Memorial Ave.
A press release from the group said the event will bring together a variety of stakeholders to discuss the changes.
“The event will bring together students, educators, workers, and community members concerned about recent changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), including sharp reductions in grant support and an increased reliance on student loans,” they wrote.
The goal for organizers is to bring students together to share experiences, discuss the impact of the changes, and mobilize together to build a winning movement against these cuts.
“Students involved in the campaign say the issue is not new: Ontario’s public investment in
post-secondary education has long been what has allowed generations of students to access college and university without being pushed into unmanageable debt,” the release said.
The group says recent changes represent a shift away from that principle at a time when the cost of living and tuition pressures are already making education less accessible.
“Students are coming to me and telling me they don’t know how they’ll be able to achieve a
post-secondary education in the face of these cuts,” said Lead Organizer Olivia Kembel.
“This isn’t an abstract policy ― it’s about real people who can’t afford to finish their degree without taking on overwhelming debt.”
Organizers are hoping the event can lead to the creation of a bigger movement beyond the initial event.
“While concerns about affordability are driving the campaign, organizers stress that the focus of the event is creating a winning movement, noting that students have successfully mobilized in the past, including student-led campaigns in Québec where sustained, peaceful organizing helped force meaningful changes to post-secondary affordability and access,” the release said.
The event will include opening remarks from students and community speakers, followed by a panel discussion and breakout conversations focused on organizing and next steps for advocacy.
The group says students are organizing because they believe Ontario can strengthen its
post-secondary system while keeping education affordable and accessible.
