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Ontario Extends OSAP Ban on Three Academy of Learning Career Colleges Until 2029-30
By Drooid · · How we work
Extension of OSAP Ban to Three Academy of Learning Colleges
Ontario’s colleges and universities minister, Nolan Quinn, issued an order that bars three Academy of Learning locations from receiving Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding for the 2026-27 academic year and extends the prohibition for an additional three years, keeping the ban in place through the 2029-30 term. The decision follows an earlier May order that blocked six schools, including four Academy of Learning campuses, from OSAP for the 2026-27 year.
Government Inspections and Alleged Irregularities
Ministry inspectors reported evidence that third parties were completing coursework—sometimes an entire course in a single day—and that student validation and enrollment verification were inadequate. The inspections also highlighted involvement of immigration-services firms, co-location of private career colleges with recruitment agencies, and unusually high concentrations of OSAP applications from the same geographic areas. While the ministry has not confirmed that these issues apply to the three newly barred campuses, court records show inspectors expressed concerns about student validation at those sites. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Growth in OSAP Funding for the Colleges
Freedom-of-information data show a sharp rise in OSAP participation at Academy of Learning campuses. The Bay Street location’s OSAP enrolments grew from 996 students in 2021-22 to 7,435 in 2024-25, generating more than $108 million in provincial grants. The Brampton East campus increased from about 74 students in 2020-21 to 4,260 in 2024-25, attracting over $64 million in grants. Together with the North York campus, these three sites accounted for roughly one-fifth of the nearly $1 billion in OSAP grants awarded to all career colleges that year. The college attributes the surge to programs aligned with workforce needs.
Official Responses and Legal Challenge
The three Academy of Learning schools have filed a court application arguing that Quinn’s decision is unreasonable and procedurally unfair, citing the sudden imposition of new approval criteria and reliance on undisclosed adverse information. The ministry declined to comment on the ban. In response to rising OSAP costs, Quinn earlier this year announced reduced grant amounts for publicly funded institutions and a shift toward higher loan proportions for career-college students. He also announced that OSAP loan payments for all career-college and private post-secondary students are paused while a KPMG audit proceeds, and that the matter has been referred to the Ontario Provincial Police.
Implications for Students
The extended ban and paused loan repayments affect thousands of current and prospective students at the three campuses, limiting access to publicly funded assistance and potentially increasing out-of-pocket costs. The ongoing audit and legal challenge leave the future of OSAP eligibility for private career colleges uncertain, prompting institutions to implement additional verification measures such as two-factor authentication and tighter monitoring of exam-code issuance.