OSAP changes coming Monday - I don't know anything yet

Two of my friends, one student journalist, and two readers of my online columns have all asked me today if I know what changes the Ontario government will be making to the Ontario Students Assistance Program (OSAP) that will be announced on Monday.

The honest answer is that I do not know.

One of my friends asked if – in light of the recession and Ontario’s deficit – I expect the government to make cutbacks to OSAP?

I do not. There is nothing to indicate that cutbacks are coming, there may be a change made to the debt cap of $7000 for a 2-term year but even this is unlikely to be a cutback.

This media conference to be held Monday is the first one that I’ve been invited to by the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities since I mysteriously stopped receiving releases in Spring of 2008.  The fact that the Ministry has sent me this advisory indicates that either they expect I’ll opine positively about the changes or recent changes to the civil servants in the communications branch have depoliticized the distribution list.