Yuni Kim
Assistant News Editor
The Ontario government has come out with a mobile app – the first of its kind – that allows post-secondary students to track their Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) application processes as well as their loan accumulation.
John Milloy, Ontario’s Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, said he hopes easier access to keeping track of post-secondary finances will make it more convenient for students.
“It took roughly four months [to develop the app] by the ministry staff,” said Milloy. “Everything nowadays is computer-based, and the app will give students up-to-date information.”
However, Sandy Hudson, chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students Ontario (CFS-O), said she felt the government’s efforts could have been directed elsewhere, namely, towards affordable and accessible education.
Milloy urged students to view the OSAP app as a single piece of a bigger plan.
“Obviously there is a concern about the financial part of OSAP,” he explained. “Adding a new app […] is one small step. Take a look at the big package. We are listening to students.”
While some remain sceptical about the effectiveness of the OSAP app, others hope it will help them stay on top of government loans and personal finances.
Sobia Subedar, a fourth-year communications major, said she has been using OSAP for two years and has accumulated roughly $10,000 in student debt.
“I would like [the app] too, just to keep track of everything,” she said, adding that a mobile app would help her stay better organized with her finances.
Milloy said the majority of OSAP-reliant students have two main concerns: affordability and accessibility to information.
“All things were done to make life easier for students,” Milloy said of the several recent changes made to OSAP, including the early availability of applications as well as the waiving of interest fees during the six-month grace period after study completion.
“Obviously an app is a way to reach students and young people are the most familiar with technologies and using them.”
Tracking OSAP debt: there’s an app for that
About the Author
Fantastic. Students can know their gargantuan debt with the touch of their ipod or ipad. Perhaps Mr. McGuinty might want to consider a more comprehensive approach to provide affordable education.
Despite what students want to believe, the deficit that the McGuinty government is running is going to affect students. With a growing public debt, the costs associated with financing its debt will increase, thus taking a bigger piece of the budget.
Students should take note and demand their government reduce the deficit and the debt in the long run, to provide a more sustainable Ontario for the future.