WARMINGTON: Lots of tax dollars available for college kids — but for students abroad

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There are still millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money available for training and education, but that cash is earmarked for other countries and not for Ontario kids.

If any of those private college students who have had their OSAP cut off are looking for a way to get funding, perhaps emigrate to beautiful Guyana, which is still getting its Canadian taxpayer assistance. In fact, on the Global Affairs website, it highlights “$39.2 million in further funding for four new international assistance projects aimed at advancing climate action, biodiversity conservation, food security, economic resilience, sustainable and inclusive governance, health, and gender equality.”

But there is more.

“Canada also announced a new partnership with the Government of Guyana to contribute up to $9.5 million in support of their One Guyana Digital Skills Development Program,” says the Government of Canada website. “This initiative will promote economic opportunities and gender equality by empowering thousands of young Guyanese with skills and training for the digital economy. Further, Canada announced $ 120 million in funding to the Government of Guyana, which will be provided over 10 years through a policy-based loan with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).”

And even on Oct. 15, while 80,000 private college kids are not getting their OSAP, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) posted to X a recruiting drive to encourage the “best and brightest” international students to do their graduate studies or research in Canada at institutions established originally to educate our own “best and brightest.”

It seems, however, to be good to be from somewhere else.

If you are having trouble paying your rent or grocery bill, at least you can know where that money you pay in HST or payroll tax is going.

Who knew?

The Canadian government says this will allow “Guyana’s Ministry of Human Services and Social Security to efficiently deliver social programs and promote gender equality” and “Canada is extending its support to Guyana through innovative programs, encompassing essential Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health services for Indigenous communities and remote hinterland populations lacking access to quality healthcare.”

Money for Guyana but not for Ontario students

This week Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke with Guyana’s president Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali — for the second time this year — about the warm “people to people” ties between the two great countries.

“The Prime Minister and the President discussed deepening ties in trade and investment between the two countries,” said an Oct. 14 statement from the PMO.

Meanwhile, there are thousands of students, some with small children, who attend private Ontario colleges that teach a trade or are faith-based who are no longer getting assistance — a problem for many deep into the semester who can’t pay their bills.

Time to take care of Ontario students first?

The federal government does say on its website that new funding for private or for-profit international schools has been suspended but is still available until 2029 for those already in the system. A tracker website lists a series of international public universities — from Iran to Gaza, to Israel to the United States to Malaysia — that appear to be eligible to apply for funding to attend as well.

With the federal government paying up to 60% of the money doled out through OSAP, perhaps Canadian taxpayer assistance to foreign countries could be reduced and that money instead be used to save our Ontario students’ academic year? Take care of our own first? Premier Doug Ford’s government has indicated they are working on another short-term solution to help these struggling people, which in turn could help these in-good-standing colleges which rely on tuition to keep their lights on.

“We understand this is creating uncertainty for students and are working quickly to develop options for low-interest, third-party loans facilitated by financial institutions to help students through this period of transition,” said Bianca Giacoboni, press secretary of Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security Nolan Quinn.

OPP investigation and KPMG audit in limbo

If this happens, this could be a lifesaver for students in limbo. I have asked for more information on this and will report back to you once I hear some concrete details on how this would work or if it’s more wishful thinking than realistic.

Meanwhile, this mysterious, unexplained mess of a situation remains unresolved.

“The OPP has received a referral from the Ontario government and is currently reviewing the information provided,” OPP spokesperson Tracey Mellersh told the Toronto Sun on Oct. 9. Then on Oct. 15, she reiterated that “the review of the referral remains ongoing.”

So how about the KPMG? Why are people and institutions, who have done nothing wrong, being punished?

“While the ministry’s initial investigations focused on a few schools, with the ministry since taking action to not renew OSAP at six campuses, in recent weeks we’ve seen evidence of systemic issues,” explains Giacoboni. “At this time, we do not have assurances from the audit team that the issues are not more widespread, leaving us with no choice but to pause OSAP payments to all private institutions to protect taxpayer dollars and hold bad actors accountable.”

This is such a mess. As Bryan Passifiume, some schools are going to court to try to get this reversed. What should happen is both Ford and Carney take money from international programs and fund out this school year for unfairly victimized students while they sort it all out.

Don’t scapegoat Canadian single mothers trying to better themselves by cutting off their assistance in October while there’s enough money to fund gender or climate programs in other countries.

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