Private Toronto College Closes – Timeline, Impacts and Student Guide

Multiple private career colleges across Ontario abruptly ceased operations in 2024 and early 2025, leaving students without credentials, instructors without pay, and regulators scrambling to enforce consumer protections. The closures of Goodwin College of Technology and Management, Miami Ad School Toronto, and BizTech College exposed systemic vulnerabilities in the province’s oversight of for-profit education institutions.

These shutdowns affected hundreds of students who had paid tens of thousands of dollars in tuition, many just months away from graduation. The circumstances surrounding each closure varied—from criminal bribery charges to accreditation losses and financial insolvency—yet they shared common features of regulatory failure and delayed government intervention.

The circumstances surrounding each institution reveal patterns of regulatory failure and underscore ongoing risks within the province’s for-profit education sector.

Which Private College in Toronto Closed and When?

• Goodwin College’s closure followed bribery charges against its owner one month prior to the Ministry order
• Miami Ad School Toronto instructors reported waiting months to receive payment before the shutdown
• BizTech College lost OSAP eligibility for all programs, immediately halting new student enrollment
• Students across all three institutions were months away from completing their studies when operations ceased
• Tuition fees at affected institutions reached 4 to 5 times the average cost of public college programs
• International students comprised a significant portion of enrollment at the closed colleges
• The Ministry enforced reimbursements under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005

Why Did the Private Toronto College Close?

Regulatory Violations and Criminal Allegations

Goodwin College of Technology and Management received a closure order from the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities specifically for operating unapproved programmes and maintaining an unregistered campus. The enforcement action came approximately one month after the college’s owner faced bribery charges for allegedly attempting to pay off a public official in exchange for a favorable regulatory report.

Accreditation Failures and Financial Insolvency

BizTech College in Mississauga entered crisis when it lost accreditation for its Cardiac Sonography program, triggering a $1.5 million tuition reimbursement obligation under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005. The institution subsequently lost accreditation for its General Sonography Program as well. The college president acknowledged the institution lacked “unlimited funds” to cover these refunds, while the Ministry canceled OSAP eligibility for all programs, effectively preventing new enrollment.

Industry Instability and Corporate Decisions

Miami Ad School Toronto closed abruptly when the co-founder attributed the shutdown to “broader industry conditions and prior changes at the global brand.” Instructors reported chronic payment delays stretching over months, while students experienced poor onboarding and communication breakdowns before the closure announcement.

What Happens to Students After the Toronto Private College Closure?

Incomplete Credentials and Financial Losses

Students at all three institutions faced the immediate loss of completed coursework. Many were months away from graduation when their programs lost accreditation or their colleges closed entirely. Tuition losses reached tens of thousands of dollars per student, with some facing conditional refund offers that failed to cover full expenses.

Reimbursement Delays and Legal Uncertainty

BizTech College fought the Ministry’s reimbursement decision in court, leaving students in limbo regarding refund timelines. Miami Ad School Toronto students reported receiving only conditional refunds or no compensation at all, while Goodwin College students similarly faced uncertain financial recovery prospects.

Limited Transfer Pathways

The Ministry instructed affected students to seek credit transfers at other approved colleges, though success remained uncertain and depended entirely on receiving institutions’ willingness to accept prior coursework. The Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario demanded that the provincial government find spaces in public colleges for former students “at no additional cost,” though such transfers had not been guaranteed at publication time.

Government and Regulatory Response to Toronto Private College Closures

Ministry Enforcement Actions

The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities enforced the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005 to order closures, revoke accreditations, and mandate reimbursements. The Ministry stated it would “continue to take necessary action to protect BizTech students, and all students in Ontario, from disreputable practices.”

Calls for Systemic Reform

The Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario responded to the closures by calling for a moratorium on new Private Career College approvals and steps toward eliminating for-profit private colleges entirely. Critics noted that while private colleges receive no direct government funding, they drain public resources through OSAP access, with tuition rates 4 to 5 times higher than public institutions.

Timeline of Ontario Private College Closures and Regulatory Actions

1. Early 2024: Miami Ad School Toronto instructors report waiting months to receive payment as communication breaks down.
2. Mid-2024: Owner of Goodwin College charged with bribery regarding regulatory report manipulation.
3. Mid-2024: Ontario Ministry orders Goodwin College to cease operations for unapproved programs and unregistered campus.
4. Late 2024: Miami Ad School Toronto abruptly closes; students report poor onboarding and lack of communication.
5. Late 2024: BizTech College loses accreditation for Cardiac Sonography program; Ministry orders $1.5 million reimbursement.
6. Late 2024: BizTech College loses accreditation for General Sonography Program.
7. 2024-2025: Ministry cancels OSAP eligibility for all BizTech programs, halting new enrollments.
8. 2025: BizTech College president reports that reimbursement obligations threaten viability of other programs including Paramedic Academy.

What Is Known and What Remains Uncertain

The Broader Context of Ontario’s Private Career College Sector

Ontario’s private career college sector includes 780 registered institutions as of 2023, representing more than half of the approximately 1,500 such colleges operating nationally. These institutions serve significant numbers of international students, though recent visa and work permit limits are expected to reduce these enrollments, with policy discussions continuing through 2026.

The sector operates under significant cost pressures. Multiple private career colleges charge tuition fees 4 to 5 times higher than average rates at public colleges. Despite receiving no direct government funding, these institutions access publicly subsidized resources through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), creating what critics describe as a public funding drain while delivering credentials of variable quality.

The regulatory challenges facing these institutions mirror broader debates about education funding models seen in other sectors, including discussions around Iroquois Ridge High School and public education policy.

Official Statements and Perspectives

“The Ministry will continue to take necessary action to protect BizTech students, and all students in Ontario, from disreputable practices.”

— Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

“We don’t have unlimited funds to cover these refunds.”

— BizTech College President, regarding $1.5 million reimbursement obligation

The provincial government must find spaces in public colleges for former students “at no additional cost.”

— Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario

Educational policy debates in Ontario often intersect with broader political discussions, including those advanced by groups like the Peoples Party of Canada regarding institutional accountability.

Summary and Key Takeaways

The closure of Goodwin College, Miami Ad School Toronto, and BizTech College exposed critical gaps in Ontario’s oversight of private career colleges. While the Ministry intervened through the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005 to mandate reimbursements and revoke accreditations, students remain at risk of financial loss and incomplete credentials. The sector’s reliance on high tuition rates, OSAP funding, and international enrollment creates structural vulnerabilities that continue to threaten institutional stability across the province.

Frequently Asked Questions