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Ontario students walk out over OSAP cuts and tuition hikes

Several cities · pinned on Toronto, Canada · Nov 5, 2026

Is it still on?

NOIt was a one-day action on Nov 5.

Last report · checked

The Tea in three lines

Why they are protesting
Ontario students are protesting reductions to non-repayable OSAP grants, increased student loans, and newly permitted tuition fee hikes.
What they want
Demonstrators demand that student financial aid be provided entirely through grants instead of loans, interest removal, and capped tuition fees.
What changed
Nov 5, 2026: Thousands of post-secondary students across more than 15 campuses in Ontario walked out of classes and held rallies.
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Both sides

What protesters want

  • Provide OSAP funding in grants instead of loans
  • Remove interest on student financial aid
  • Curb rising tuition costs
  • End government interference in university and college affairs

Organised by: Canadian Federation of Students Ontario, University of Guelph student union, Part-Time Students' Organization at the University of Windsor, University of Toronto Metropolitan Students' Union

What authorities say

The provincial government defended the changes, pointing to a $6.4-billion investment in colleges and universities rolled out over four years. Minister of Colleges and Universities Nolan Quinn stated that the adjustments to OSAP allocation are necessary to ensure the program's sustainability.1

The numbers

Only figures a source states, with who said it. Estimates often differ.

Crowd
1,000s
Thousands of students brandishing signs that state “Hands Off Our Education!”2

The full story

Post-secondary students across Ontario staged campus walkouts and marches on November 5, 2026, to protest changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program and recent tuition fee increases. Organised by the Canadian Federation of Students Ontario along with various campus student unions, the demonstrations took place at more than 15 universities and colleges, including the University of Toronto, York University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Guelph. Participants expressed outrage that non-repayable grants were slashed from a maximum of 85 percent to 25 percent and that a seven-year tuition freeze was lifted. In response, the provincial government defended its policies, citing a $6.4-billion investment over four years to ensure program sustainability.

Timeline

  1. Students across more than 15 campuses in Ontario walked out of classrooms to protest OSAP cuts and tuition increases.123

Pins sit on city centres, never on gathering points

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