Ontario cuts OSAP funding for three Academy of Learning colleges

The Ontario government has cut off access to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) for three Academy of Learning franchise locations in Brampton East, North York, and downtown Toronto. The decision follows inspection reports alleging significant irregularities in how students complete coursework and how identities are verified.

Court documents reveal that inspectors found evidence suggesting third parties may have been completing courses for students. In some instances, entire courses were reportedly completed in a single day, with one business writing exam lasting only six minutes. Investigations also uncovered suspicious digital activity, including a single student account being accessed from at least 211 different IP addresses and multiple students sharing identical IP addresses linked to the same recruiter.

During follow-up calls, some students were reportedly unable to name their school or the specific program in which they were enrolled. The three affected locations are among ten schools flagged for rapid growth in OSAP applications. Data indicates that approximately 14,800 students at these three Academy of Learning locations received more than $219 million in OSAP grants during the 2024-25 period.

The Academy of Learning locations are currently challenging the government's decision in court, seeking to overturn the ban on financial aid. The schools deny most of the allegations and state they have implemented corrective actions to address the government's concerns.