'Hands off our OSAP': Post-secondary students across Ontario walk out

One of the walkouts, a TMU in Toronto. Students angry with the Doug Ford government. Also here, students from George Brown College. One, a mature student looking for a second career. I have everything stacked against me with this because, you know, you want to get a degree to have a better life, but now you have to pay all this money and we're being given even less. It's essentially just going to be... Dealing with this amount of debt and struggling and just hoping that I can get to a point sometime in my life where I can pay it off. Earlier this year, the province ended a seven-year tuition freeze, allowing increases of up to 2% a year. It also changed student assistance, or OSAP, shifting to a higher percentage of loans that have to be paid back, less going out in grants. The Colleges and Universities Minister saying the OSAP system had become unsustainable, though a big increase in OSAP money went to certain private career colleges. Now that entire sector is being audited, those students all ineligible for any OSAP. But the government defends its changes, highlighting $6.4 billion for colleges and universities over four years. It's going to ensure that we have stability and sustainability of the sector. Students say they're struggling. It's mind-boggling, especially in the economy that we live in today. Like, literally nobody can afford anything these days. Grocery prices are going up. I'm literally going to be living paycheck to paycheck based off the economy that we're living in right now. It's horrible. It's literally disgusting. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. Students also walked out at York University, OCAD University, and the University of Guelph. Among other sites, the Canadian Federation of Students that organized this one-day action expected protests at at least 20 different schools. We're hearing a lot about students that can't afford to eat, they're skipping meals, they're working extra jobs. Today's rallies had dozens or hundreds of students. Nothing like the much larger, sometimes violent protests that have swept across Europe, starting in France. Though a nod to them today, with those signs. Organizers were also at the legislature. We will not stand by while our education becomes increasingly unaffordable, inaccessible and privatized. Student organizers say this walkout is just one step and they plan to keep up the pressure on the government. Loretta Redekop, CBC News, Toronto.