Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)

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The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a financial aid program that can make it easier for people to go to college or university. The program offers funding through grants (money you don’t have to pay back) and student loans (money you need to repay).

Introduction

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a financial aid program that can make it easier for people to go to college or university.

The program offers funding for school through two categories:

  • grants: money you don’t have to pay back
  • a student loan: money you need to repay

Funding is available for both full and part-time postsecondary students, and is based on a number of factors, including your family income. Some students may get their tuition covered by OSAP. For the loan portion, you can choose to decline it, and there are also programs to help you repay your student loan once you’re done school.

You can get OSAP to go to public or private post-secondary school anywhere in the world, as long as it’s on the list of OSAP approved schools.

The amount of money you can get depends on your:

  • education expenses – the amount of money you need for tuition, books, child care, personal living expenses (full-time OSAP only), supplies, and equipment
  • course load – whether you’re a full-time or part-time student
  • personal financial situation – how much you and your family are expected to contribute, based on income, family size, and other factors

Eligibility

You may be eligible if you are a(n):

  • Ontario resident, and
  • Canadian citizen, or
  • permanent resident, or
  • protected person

You could be eligible for additional money if you are:

  • an Indigenous student
  • a student with a permanent disability
  • a youth with Crown ward status
  • the first in your family to go to college or university

How to apply

Apply for OSAP

  • Speak with your caseworker if you receive social assistance.
  • Register to create an OSAP account.
    • You will need your Social Insurance Number (SIN) to create an account.
    • Write down your OSAP Access Number and password. You will need these to login in the future.
  • Once you have an account, apply online.
    • It usually takes less than 15 minutes.
    • You can start your application and come back to it later.
  • Submit your OSAP application by the deadline.
    • Full-time and part-time students with study periods of 21 weeks or more: 60 days before the end of your study period.
    • Part-time students with study periods of 20 weeks or less, 40 days before the end of your study period.
  • Prepare the following information:
    • information about your school and program
    • your parents’ or spouse’s SIN (if applicable)
    • your tax information and your parents’ or spouse’s tax information - remember to file your taxes to get this information from your income tax returns.

Notes

  • If you aren’t sure which school you are going to, you can submit an OSAP application for each school.
    • Once you decide where you’re going, you can cancel the other applications.
  • At the end of the application, you will get an estimate of how much OSAP funding you could get.
  • The National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) will then send you an email:
    • when it's time for you to register for your online account and
    • to complete your Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) online.
  • At that point, you might need to complete and upload some additional forms and documents.
    • Your school's financial aid office must receive these documents no later than 40 days from the end of your study period.
  • Updates about your application will be posted online on your OSAP account.
    • From the time you submit your application and the time your required documents are received, it usually takes about 3 to 6 weeks to hear back.
  • You have to fill out an OSAP application for every year you are in school.

Difficulty

Moderate Application
Tax filing
Yes
Jurisdiction
Provincial
Topics
Education and training
Income