Governmental aid

You can now apply for the 2022–23 school year! Click here for more information about how to apply.

We recommend that you take a minute to use the OSAP calculator and see what funds you may be eligible for.

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a financial aid program assisting students with the costs of post-secondary studies. OSAP consists of funding from both levels of government (the federal government and the government of Ontario). Eligibility for both repayable loans and non-repayable grant funding is determined based on financial need as defined by the governments via an OSAP application and is based on a number of factors, including family income.

Repayable loan and non-repayable grant funding is available for both full-time and part-time post-secondary students.

The full-time OSAP program is designed to supplement (not replace) the financial resources you, and your family (if applicable), are expected to contribute towards the costs of attending post-secondary studies such as tuition, books and basic living expenses. Repayment of full-time OSAP loans does not begin until 6 months after you cease to be enrolled full-time. There are also programs to help you repay your loans.

The part-time program assists with education-related costs such as tuition, student activity fees and required text-books in addition to transportation costs and child care costs (if applicable). Repayment of part-time OSAP loans does not begin until 6 months after you cease to be enrolled in part-time (or full-time studies).

General Requirements

To be considered for OSAP, a student must meet the following requirements:

• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or Protected person;
• Meet Ontario residency requirements;
• Be enrolled in an approved post-secondary institution and take an approved program which leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate; (For example, non-degree programs (Special Students) are not eligible for government student assistance)
• Be delivered on a full-time basis by the institution
• Have obtained the Minister’s approval for General Purpose Operating Grants (GPOG) through the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
• Full-time students must be taking at least 60 per cent of a full course load, or 40 percent (in each term of study) if the student has an identified permanent disability
• Part-time students must be taking 59% or less of a full course load.

By completing the applicable OSAP application (i.e., full-time or part-time) you will be automatically considered for all possible grant and loan assistance available, such as the Ontario student grant. To review the eligibility requirements for funding, please visit A-Z List of Programs section of the OSAP website and select the program you are interested in researching.

For further inquiries, please visit the Learn About OSAP link of the OSAP website.

Periods of Study Plus One

Students may apply for Full-Time OSAP for the number of periods of study normally specified by the post-secondary institution for completion of that program of study plus one (1) study period. For example:

• A student in a 1-year certificate program canA student who has reached the study period maximum for their program is not eligible for further Full-Time OSAP for that program. This means that some students who take less than 100% course load each year, or have failed and have had to repeat courses, may be unable to complete their program before they become ineligible for further Full-Time OSAP. a maximum of 2 years of Full-Time OSAP assistance
• A student in a 2-year diploma program can receive a maximum of 3 years of Full-Time OSAP assistance
• A student in a 4-year degree program can receive a maximum of 5 years of Full-Time OSAP assistance

Un étudiant qui a atteint la période d’étude maximale de son programme n’est pas admissible à un autre RAFEO à temps plein pour ce programme. Cela signifie que certains étudiants qui suivent moins de 100 % de la charge de cours chaque année, ou qui ont échoué et ont dû reprendre des cours, peuvent être incapables de terminer leur programme avant de devenir inadmissibles au RAFEO à temps plein.

Notes :

• A study period is defined as 1 academic year.
• Periods of study in which a student did not receive Full-Time OSAP funding from Canada or Ontario are not included.
• Students with permanent disabilities are exempted from this policy.

OSAP’s Academic Progress Requirements

To continue to be eligible for Full-Time OSAP, a student receiving Full-time OSAP is required to achieve passing grades in a minimum required course load and must progress through their program of study. (From an OSAP perspective, dropping a course or earning an “F” has the same consequence (a D or greater is considered a pass).

• Students must achieve passing grades in at least 60% of a full course load in an OSAP funded term of study (i.e., at SPU a student must successfully complete a minimum 18 credit units over the fall/winter terms).
• Students with a permanent disability must successfully complete (pass) 40% of a full course load (i.e., 12 credit units over the fall/winter terms).

In addition, dropping to a part-time course load, withdrawing from studies, etc., are considered by OSAP as a failure to progress academically. There is an impact to further OSAP eligibility if students do not meet the academic progress requirements as defined by OSAP. The consequence of the failure is increasingly severe as the number of failures increase.

1. Academic probation warning – first instance of not successfully completing the academic progress requirements;
2. Academic restrictions – second, and any subsequent instance(s) of not successfully completing the academic progress requirements.

Students will receive notification and further instructions from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities if they have been placed on either an academic probation warning or an academic restriction. There are appeals if students have experienced extenuating circumstances.

Applying

How to Apply for OSAP

To apply, you must visit the OSAP website and either register for a new account, or sign into an existing one. You will then be able to access the online application. During the application process, you will be asked to provide supporting documentation and to complete the online Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) if it’s your first time applying.

If you are outside of Ontario or are unable to visit an Ontario post-secondary institution you must complete the Request for an OSAP Access Number (OAN) form and send it to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. The Ministry will send you your OAN by mail.

Recieving Your Funding

Once your OSAP application is submitted you are provided with an estimate of your OSAP funding. OSAP entitlements begin to process mid/late June for the upcoming academic year. You will be notified of your OSAP funding entitlement via an email directing you to check your OSAP account or by paper notification as per your direction on your application.

Before any funding can be disbursed to you the following steps must be completed:

• Submit your online Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) (following the instructions outlined in the “Required Documents” section of your OSAP application);
• Upload all required OSAP supporting documents into your OSAP application (or submit directly to the Student Awards Office);
• The Student Awards Office must confirm your full-time enrolment (prior to each disbursement);
• Please ensure you are enrolled full-time in each term of study you have applied for full-time OSAP;
• Confirm your income (if applicable) as directed by your OSAP application

All or a portion of your OSAP funding will be redirected to SPU to be applied to your tuition and mandatory fees. The amount of your OSAP to be remitted to SPU will not exceed the value of your term tuition and mandatory fees, unless you have a balance outstanding from a previous academic term. Any remaining OSAP will be deposited to your personal bank account.

Please wait until the OSAP payment has been applied to your SPU student account before making an online payment for any remaining balance of fees outstanding (if applicable). Log on to your OSAP account at Ontario.ca/osap and view your Funding Summary for details of what is being redirected to SPU. It’s important that you keep your address and contact information up to date on both your account on the OSAP website, as well your account with the National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC). In addition, you must keep your bank account information up to date with the NSLSC.

OSAP Appeals

OSAP has a standard way of calculating your financial need to determine how much you are entitled to receive. Your situation may not be standard and the money you receive may not cover all of your expenses. The Ministry will consider appeals based on the following circumstances:

• family breakdown
• exceptional parental expenses
• pre-study income contributions
• study period educational expenses
• study period income contributions
• asset contributions
• credit screening

You may be required to provide documentation. Please understand that some appeals can take up to 8 weeks to be processed by the Ministry. The appeal deadline is 60 days before the end of your study period.

Tuition Fee Refunds

It is a requirement of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities that the full amount of any refund of academic fee for students receiving OSAP assistance are to be forwarded to the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) and applied against the student’s outstanding OSAP student loan debt or to the Ministry against any excess amounts of financial assistance owing.

Eligibility

A student may only apply from the province of residence in which he or she has most recently lived for at least 12 consecutive months, excluding time spent as a full-time student at a post-secondary institution.

A loan application must be submitted for each academic year you attend. Student loan applications are produced by your provincial loan office and usually become available each year at the end of April. Applications are also available online on your provincial student loan program website, and are typically the preferred method of applying. Paper applications have, in some cases, been eliminated.

You may submit a loan application prior to receiving your acceptance letter from Saint Paul University’s admission office. Submit your application as early as possible (before mid-June) to ensure that your loan will be available the first week of classes. Processing times may vary and can take 8 to 10 weeks.

You may obtain student loan information from your provincial loan office or by contacting an admissions and student services officer.

Government loans may not cover the full cost of tuition

Student Line of Credit

A student line of credit is repayable loan assistance from a bank or credit union.

Unlike government student loans, a student line of credit is not based on financial need. To qualify, you usually require a valid Canadian co-signor (e.g. parent or guardian). Approval is based on the co-signor’s credit worthiness. Students enrolled in professional programs (e.g. Law, Medicine, etc.) may not require a co-signor in recognition of future earning potential (please contact your financial aid institution for further details). You can apply for a student line of credit at most major Canadian banks. Each will have their own terms and interest fees.

While you are enrolled in full-time studies you are only responsible for repaying the interest on the funding you have borrow. You begin repayment of the principal when you cease full-time studies (either graduate, or withdraw from full-time studies).

Sites web des gouvernements provinciaux et territoriaux

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Nunavut
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon
• Canada Student Loan Program (Canlearn)

Loan repayment responsibilities – OSAP/CSL

Loan repayment begins 6 months after the completion of your studies, or when you have stopped being a full-time post-secondary student. Interest accrues on the loan from the time you are no longer a full-time student. The rates and conditions for repayment are set at the time of repayment.

It is the borrower’s responsibility to understand the terms and conditions of the loans. Specific information is available on each of the provincial loan program websites. For students who temporarily cannot repay their loans due to low income, interest relief and/or debt-reduction programs may be available to aid you in paying the interest on your loans. Applications are available from Admissions and Student Services or from your lender.

Available Videos

The NSLSC is officially live on Twitter!  We are excited to introduce this new channel to our student borrowers. Don’t forget to hit that follow button@NSLSC for some exciting content to follow.

The National Student Loans Service Centre is now on YouTube! To check out the channel, click on the link to enhance the student loan experience. English Channel

OSAP Forms

OSAP Forms can be found on the OSAP website forms section.

For more information, contact us by phone at 613-236-1393, ext. 2295, or by e-mail at financialaid@ustpaul.ca.