Ontario's Minister of Colleges and Skills Training says the boards that govern colleges in the province need to "go back to the drawing table" in their efforts to set senior executive salaries.
The boards' salary proposals could have netted some senior administrators pay raises of more than 50 percent in 2017.
Algonquin president Cheryl Jensen could have been eligible for a pay hike of more than $124,000, a 38% increase.
Deb Matthews says comparable cases that were presented by the board are "unacceptable."
Some suggestions were that college executives be compared to those who run enterprises as much as 10 times their size - including major hospitals and large universities.
"I think a good start is to compare amongst your peers here, and others across the country," Matthews told a Toronto news conference.
"I am even comfortable with comparable-sized universities - there are lots of comparisons."
Matthews said the goal was to give colleges the tools to maintain and hire top executives while living within budget constraints -- and that hasn't happened.
She added, until the boards comply with that outline, the salary freeze will remain in effect.