• Statement by Minister Quinn on Advancing Measures to Safeguard OSAP at Private Postsecondary Institutions

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Colleges and Universities
  Date: 2026-10-20 21:25:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Education, Governance, Finance]

  The Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (MCURES), utilizing third-party auditor KPMG, has launched in-person inspections at eight private career colleges as part of a broader system-wide audit. Pending upcoming legislative changes expected in early 2027 to enhance oversight and integrity, the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) remains paused for private postsecondary institutions. The forthcoming strengthened validation framework will introduce caps on OSAP-funded enrollment, exclude predominantly online-only programs, and mandate stricter student identification and verification controls.

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• Ontario Clarifies Longstanding Out-of-Country Drug Funding Process

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Health
  Date: 2026-10-06 21:00:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Healthcare, Affordability, Governance, Finance]

  The Government of Ontario has amended Regulation 552 of the Health Insurance Act to align with its longstanding out-of-country drug funding policy, restricting out-of-country funding to treatments where the drug and administration are publicly funded in Ontario, temporarily unavailable locally, and necessary to prevent death or irreversible tissue damage. According to the Ministry of Health led by Minister Sylvia Jones, the regulatory clarification aims to prevent global pharmaceutical companies from bypassing direct price negotiations with the province and avoids potential health-care system cost increases of up to $5.2 billion annually alongside $170 million in out-of-country treatment requests. This follows a recent Ontario Divisional Court decision concerning out-of-country drug funding, which the government is evaluating alongside options such as an appeal or a negotiated resolution with the applicant.

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• Ontario Putting Student Achievement First as Students Return to School

  Source: Ontario - Ministry of Education
  Date: 2026-09-08 14:00:00.0
  Tags: [Ontario, Education, Infrastructure, Governance, Finance]

  The Ontario government is implementing the Putting Student Achievement First Act, 2026, alongside $30.6 billion in Core Education Funding for the 2026-27 school year to modernize the provincial school system. Key policy changes include standardized secondary grading with 65% for classroom work, 20% to 25% for final evaluations, and the return of mandatory written exams and attendance weighting. Additionally, the province is investing over $1 billion to open 35 new and expanded schools providing over 18,300 student spaces, and has partnered with Staples Canada via Supply Ontario to launch a $750 annual direct classroom supply fund for eligible elementary homeroom teachers.

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