Paramedic students at a northern Ontario career college are facing financial struggles after the provincial government paused student aid funding, including grants designed to train health-care workers for underserved communities.
CTS Canadian Career College says 41 students who were approved for the Learn and Stay Grant have already dropped out. Another 115 students receiving the grant remain enrolled.
The grant covers tuition for students studying nursing, paramedic services and medical laboratory technology. In return, graduates must agree to work in communities facing health-care worker shortages.
However, the program is funded through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), which Colleges and Universities Minister Nolan Quinn has temporarily paused for career colleges and other private schools.
The government ordered an audit after raising concerns about possible misuse of OSAP funding at some private colleges.
CTS is the only career college eligible for the Learn and Stay Grant, with paramedic programs in North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury.
Students say the funding pause has put their education and finances at risk.
Aaron Madgett, a student in Sault Ste. Marie, said he has fallen behind on property taxes and electricity payments and has needed help from food banks.
Fyonna Vanderwerf, a student in North Bay, said she is struggling to afford basic expenses, including her mortgage, food and gas.
Quinn’s office said the government is reviewing CTS’s eligibility for the grant. The program has separate accountability rules, including agreements requiring graduates to work in designated communities.
Opposition politicians have criticized the funding pause, saying students should not face the consequences of problems they did not cause.
NDP Leader Marit Stiles said northern Ontario communities need the future paramedics and health-care workers affected by the decision.