TORONTO -- Ontario's college and universities minister says the government has referred concerns about student financial assistance payments at private career colleges to the Ontario Provincial Police.
A statement today from Nolan Quinn says the ministry launched targeted inspections of career colleges last year in response to growing concerns about Ontario Student Assistance Program usage.
The Canadian Press has reported that the total of provincial grants sent to students at just seven career colleges in 2024-25 was about $385 million, the same amount that went to students at all of Ontario's publicly funded colleges.
Court records show that Career Colleges Ontario has been warning the province about possible "suspicious" OSAP activity for years.
Quinn says the government asked KPMG in August "to assess the broader integrity of OSAP applications at private post-secondary institutions" and that preliminary findings have identified "serious concerns."
Quinn says as a result, the government notified the auditor general last week and has also referred this matter to the Ontario Provincial Police.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2026.