Comments on: OSAP diet has students tightening belts

By: Rachael

Rachael — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:59:10 +0000

You know what? When I was in college, OSAP didn’t cover all of my expenses, which is why I worked my guts out the year before I started (grade 12). I hated my job, but it was either do that and get an education, or do this crappy job for the rest of my life.

OSAP tries its best to help students, but, in my opinion, too many students rely too heavily on OSAP these days. Students need to help themselves too, which means working full-time in the summers and part-time (if possible) through out the school year. Applying for grants, bursaries, and scholarships are also beneficial.

I know it’s hard adjusting to adulthood, but you just got to do it.

By: Natalia

Natalia — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:41:34 +0000

$7.50/day for food is a lot! It’s called coupons, discount groceries stores, and cooking! In my undergrad I had a $30/week budget for groceries and survived just fine. I always had the canada food quide posted on my fridge and followed it every day. I got more than enough fresh fruits and veggies in, it’s really not hard. Doing my grad studies, I’ve upped my budget to $35/week which is still less than $7.50/day, and I’d be hard pressed to think of a single day that I didn’t get a good portion of veggies and a few fruits in. I love coupons, I track sales, and am a loyal No Frills shopper. It’s really not hard. I eat meat twice a week, cold cuts 4 times a week, and the rest is easy. Stir fries, pasta, home made bread, potatoes and chicken, home made soup… good old Soviet-era grandma taught me everything I need to know. If you’re going to live off frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, and boxed pre-breaded fish, then yes, you’re going to find it hard. But it’s called a cookbook. Use one.

By: Craig

Craig — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:22:50 +0000

I have been living on less than $225 a month on groceries for the past 5 years and for 2 of those years I’m not even a student anymore, just frugal. Between my fiancee and I we average $150 a month each well which is well under the $225 each that OSAP would give us. We eat quite well too with fresh berries and other fruit around the house and eatings meals with lots of vegetables in them.

Cereal/Soy milk and a banana for breakfast. Sliced meat, cheese, veggies and a bun for lunch with fruit on the side. For supper Homemade from scratch Spaghetti (1.5 hours to make and freezes 7 days worth for 2 people). Chili 1.5 hours to make 3days worth of chili. Pizza,Tacos,Curry etc.

Just learn how to make food from scratch on the weekend and freeze them to eat later (takes 5-10 mins to reheat). Or have the leftovers in the fridge to eat for the next few days. It is also important to eat the same breakfast and lunch everyday.

If you don’t have a stove or hot plate then you are boned but other then that the only thing you need to tough out is your inability to fit restaurant meals and alcohol into this budget.

By: DB Cooper

DB Cooper — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 14:19:24 +0000

OOPS buy

By: DB Cooper

DB Cooper — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:58:43 +0000

You can get a part-time job, walk to school and by cheap clothes.

By: Phil

Phil — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:20:55 +0000

John L says:
March 10, 2010 at 9:35 pm
OSAP stands fro student ASSISTANCE, folks.
It isn’t meant to carry the entire cost of the years spent in higher education. If the $7.50 per day for food is too low feel free to top it up from your own funds…
_______________________________

You clearly do not use OSAP, because if you did you would realized that the money has to be paid back!
Its a loan… meaning it gets payed back WITH interest to the government.
The reason people get OSAP is because they do not have the ability to “feel free to top it up from your own funds”.
If it gets people through university or college into good paying jobs and makes the government money in the long run… why not increase the amount of loans so students can at least eat healthier.

By: John L

John L — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:35:56 +0000

OSAP stands fro student ASSISTANCE, folks.

It isn’t meant to carry the entire cost of the years spent in higher education. If the $7.50 per day for food is too low feel free to top it up from your own funds.

On the claim that university is too costly that’s been the standard claim for decades. Students, like just about everyone else, would love to download the cost of what they’re receiving onto everyone else; the problem is that university students just don’t look like the really needy segment of society.

By: F4T Andrew: Day 1 Blog « OUSA.ca

F4T Andrew: Day 1 Blog « OUSA.ca — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:58:39 +0000

[...] Western Gazette Article [...]

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:43:50 +0000

I think what Andrew and the 4 other students are doing across our province is really important. They are demonstrating one of the flaws of the OSAP system in a very public way. Too many students are dependent on OSAP, but because of the clawback, can’t work to supplement the loan money and are stuck doing what Andrew has volunteered for. That this happens needs to be brought to light. Kudos to Andrew, the other students participating and the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance.