By Vanessa Thomas
Ryerson students will have to force their parents to pay for their education before becoming eligible for OSAP.
Dave Johnson, education and training minister, has announced plans forcing parents to contribute to their child’s post secondary education beginning in September.
A family of four with a total income of $40,000 is expected to contribute $100 towards their child’s education; whereas the same family with a total income of $55,000 will contribute $933. Today, parents are not required to contribute to their child’s post secondary education.
“It’s unrealistic for parents making $40,000 or more to be forced to carry this financial burden, when this government is not doing their part,” said Wayne Poirier, chair of the Canadian Federation of Students for Ontario.
Johnson announced that parent’s income will be considered for OSAP recipients out of high school for five years or less. Until now, students out of high school for at least four years were considered independent from their parents.
Linda Grayson, Ryerson’s VP administration, says parental contributions are appropriate, but says Ryerson should have been consulted by the government about changes to OSAP.
“If Ryerson was notified by the government about the changes, then we could have tried to stabilize the OSAP system so that students and parents could plan more,” said Grayson.
Johnson plans to implement a new grant system for students to replace the current loan-forgiveness program early next year. The Ministry of Education and Training will invest $535 million in financial assistance, an increase of $134 million from 1995-96.
The new system will give any student whose loan exceeds $7,000 for the year, a trant for the amount above $7,000 at the end of the academic year, Johnson said in a press release.
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