News

The Varsity • 24th June 2026

UTFA, PSSAR, LCPal urge Ottawa to act on Gazan student permits

At a June 2 press conference on Parliament Hill, advocates called on Prime Minister Mark Carney and federal ministers to urgently resolve delayed study permit applications for students from Gaza. Representatives from the Palestinian Students and Scholars at Risk Network (PSSAR), the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA), and the Legal Centre for Palestine (LCPal) attended.According to these organizers, 15 faculty associations across Canada, including U of T’s UTFA, signed letters to t...

The Varsity • 21st May 2026

Gazan students accepted to Canadian universities remain trapped in visa delays, advocates say

Advocates and members of the New Democratic Party (NDP) gathered on Parliament Hill on April 14 to escalate pressure on Ottawa over alleged discriminatory immigration delays. This comes more than a month after The Varsity reported on 12 Palestinian students admitted to U of T struggling to secure Canadian study permits. At last month’s press conference, NDP leader Avi Lewis and Jenny Kwan, MP for Vancouver East and the party’s critic for immigration, refugees, and citizenship called on the feder...

The Varsity • 23rd March 2026

UTMSU hosts town hall and rally over OSAP changes and tuition increases

Over March 18–19, students gathered at UTM to protest recent changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and the tuition freeze lifting. In interviews with The Varsity, organizers warned that the shift toward loans will make postsecondary education less accessible.Town hall outlines concerns over affordabilityAt a March 18 town hall, University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) leaders described the Ford government’s OSAP restructuring as a significant threat to afforda...

The Varsity • 11th March 2026

Highlights from 2026 UTMSU all candidates forum

On March 5, candidates from the IgniteUTM and ServeUTM slates participated in an “all candidates forum” ahead of the UTMSU election. The entire debate can be viewed on the UTMSU’s Instagram page.Voting will take place from March 10–12, with polling stations open each day from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Students can cast their ballots at five campus buildings: William G. Davis Building (DV), Communication, Culture, and Technology Building (CCT), Instructional Centre (IB), Deerfield Hall Building (DH), a...

The Varsity • 2nd March 2026

Estimated 12 Palestinian students accepted to U of T face difficulties securing a study visa

There are currently over 130 graduate students who have received offers of admission to Canadian universities, but cannot complete the biometrics assessment required for a Canadian study visa.The Palestinian Students and Scholars at Risk (PSSAR) network is a nonprofit organization that has helped Palestinian students facing barriers to higher education following the destruction of Gaza’s universities. It helps connect Palestinian students with institutions abroad by forming a direct line of comm...

The Varsity • 23rd February 2026

Breaking barriers: Black Future Lawyers UTM hosts BHM student success panel

On February 4, Black Future Lawyers UTM (BFL UTM) hosted Breaking Barriers: A Student Success Panel to support Black students as they navigate pathways to law school and the legal profession. The panel, organized for Black History Month with the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU), brought together undergraduate and law students, U of T alumni, and UTM community leaders to discuss mentorship, LSAT preparation, and the challenges Black students face entering competitive and...

The Medium • 9th February 2026

Comedy, music, and dance take centre stage at MHSA open mic charity

The UTM Mental Health Student Association’s open mic night showcased student performers and raised funds for CAMH.

The Varsity • 1st February 2026

Muslim Students’ Association Green Square Campaign marks 2017 mosque attack

On January 29, the UTM Muslim Students’ Association (UTMMSA) participated in the Green Square Campaign to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action Against Islamophobia. The campaign, which takes place annually in the week leading up to January 29, honours the victims and survivors of the 2017 Québec City Mosque attack and is led by the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM). “We all wear green felt squares pinned to our clothes to represent the green colored carpet of the Quebec City...

The Medium • 1st February 2026

New POSts, residences, and student fees coming to UTM in the 2026-2027 academic year

The Campus Affairs and Academic Affairs Committees convened to approve new budgets and to discuss academic life at UTM.

The Varsity • 26th January 2026

UTM Young Liberals panel talks Palestinian student visa delays, youth political participation

On January 21, students at UTM gathered for a panel hosted by the UTM Young Liberals club. Elected officials addressed youth political participation, and responded to student concerns about immigration delays affecting Palestinian students.The event brought together MP Amandeep Sodhi, MP Fares Al Soud, and MP Iqra Khalid, alongside Liberal Party of Ontario Chair Qasir Dar. The discussion focused on pathways into political leadership, representation in government, and the role students can play i...

The Varsity • 18th January 2026

Eight arrested during anti-immigrant protest and counter-protest

On January 10 at 1:00 pm, anti-immigrant protesters gathered at Nathan Phillips Square before marching through downtown Toronto to the Eaton Centre, drawing a strong counter-protest and police presence. During the protest and counter-protest, Toronto Police Service (TPS) arrested eight individuals, three of whom were charged with assaulting a peace officer.Anti-immigrant demonstrators held signs that read “Make Canada Great Again” and “Stop the invasion” as families spent the Saturday afternoon...