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Ontario Student

Assistance Program

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What is OSAP?

What is OSAP?

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• The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), which is offered by the Government of Ontario, provides financial assistance to students to help them attend college or university.
• OSAP is based on your financial need, not your grades.
• With one application, you will be considered for non-repayable grants, as well as an OSAP loan.

OSAP is financial assistance

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• OSAP is an integrated program funded by both the federal and provincial government – ONE payment; ONE repayment.
• OSAP provides needs-based assistance through loans and grants to help qualified students and families with the cost of postsecondary studies.
• More than 380,000 students per year benefit from OSAP grants/loans, representing almost 60% of full-time Ontario university students and almost 70% of full-time Ontario college students.
• OSAP is an entitlement program. No cap is set on the number of students who can qualify for funding; eligibility is determined based on student need assessments.

What is OSAP?

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• OSAP includes:
• Grants and bursaries = non-repayable aid (you keep)
• Loans = repayable aid (you pay back)

Loans

Grants

Who is eligible for OSAP?

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• To be eligible for OSAP, students must be:
• A Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person (refugee)
• An Ontario resident
• Currently attending or entering an OSAP-approved program and school
• Currently enrolled in or entering a certificate, degree or diploma program

Ontario students can still receive OSAP if they enroll in a program offered at a college or university outside of Ontario.

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How is OSAP aid determined?

How is OSAP aid determined?

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Allowable Educational Costs

Expected Financial Contribution

Calculated Financial Need

minus

equals

• Tuition & compulsory fees
• Books & supplies
• Equipment
• Computer costs
• Personal living expenses
• Child care
• Travel

• Student contribution
• Student, parental & spousal income
• Student & spousal assets

Example of how OSAP aid is determined

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Educational Costs

$15,000

Financial Contribution

$3,000

Financial Need

$12,000

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How much money can I get from OSAP?

How much money can I get from OSAP?

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*Amounts are based on both federal and provincial aid.

**The Government of Canada provides $210/week in loans for all student types. (This is already included in the funding above.)

• The amount of OSAP aid you qualify for is based on your calculated financial need.

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Who can get free tuition?

Who can get free tuition?

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• Starting in September 2017, the changes to OSAP will result in free average tuition and no provincial debt for:
• Dependent students whose annual family income is less than $50,000.
• Independent students whose annual income is less than $30,000.

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Grants

Loans

Who can get free tuition?

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• Free tuition means OSAP grants (& school scholarships) would equal or exceed:
• Actual tuition for a regular college diploma program across the province; or
• Actual tuition for an undergraduate Arts and Science program at an Ontario university; or
• “Average tuition” for a regular college or undergraduate Arts and Science program for a student in a high cost program, such as engineering.

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The new OSAP

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Ontario is replacing many provincial grants with a single new Ontario Student Grant starting in the 2017-18 academic year.

Financial support previously provided at various times (e.g., start of studies, end of studies, or years later) will now be provided to students upfront to help with education costs as they are incurred.

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The new OSAP

Tuition & Education �Tax Credits

Timing of aid

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Sept. 2015 Jan. 2016 Aug. 2016 Future tax credits

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1^ST OSAP instalment

$2,722 in loans are forgiven

$7,140 (loans)

$1,311 (grants)

$2,982 (loans)

$1,311 (grants)

($530 from Ontario)

$2,030

1^ST OSAP instalment

2^nd OSAP instalment

2^nd OSAP instalment

TETCs

OSOG

$7,140 (loans)

$1,923 (grants)

$1,818 (loans)

$4,119 (grants)

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Sept. 2015

Jan. 2016

*Example is based on university costs.

Previous distribution of financial support

New distribution of financial support

OSAP (government)

National Student Loans Centre

= “OSAP Bank”

School Financial Aid Office

Who is involved in my funding?

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Other important information

Can I get a grant if my family income is over $50,000?

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• Yes, students with family incomes above these amounts can receive a mix of grants and loans, which are based on their family size and income.

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Maximum family income per year

Family size (total parents + kids)

What is considered a permanent disability?

• Deaf or hard of hearing
• Blind or visually impaired
• Physical disability affecting mobility
• Learning Disability
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Chronic Back Pain
• Chronic fatigue/ fibromyalgia/myofascial pain syndrome
• Depression/anxiety

• Extreme allergies
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Permanent back injuries
• Seasonal Affective Disorder
• Sleeping Disorders
• Speech disabilities (e.g. stuttering) …. and others

Am I a dependent student?

• You are a dependent student if all of the following are true:

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• You’re not married or living in a common-law relationship;

• You’re not separated, divorced or widowed;

• You’re not a sole-support parent;

• You’ve been out of high school for less than four years �before you start postsecondary school; and

• You haven’t taken two or more breaks from being a full-time high school or postsecondary student that were both at least 12 consecutive months in length.

Note: This definition applies only to full-time students.

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A new online tool

• A new tool to help students find out how much grants and loans they could be eligible for under OSAP in the 2017-18 academic year.
• Is available online at ontario.ca/osap and was launched on November 25, 2016.

When do I need to repay my OSAP loan?

• In the first six months after you graduate, or stop attending full time college or university:
• You don’t need to make any loan payments;
• No interest is charged on the Ontario portion of your student loan; and
• Interest begins to be charged on the federal portion of your student loan.
• You need to start paying off your student loan six months after you stop being a full time student.
• If you’re having trouble making your required payments, you could be eligible to lower them (RAP).

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How do I apply for OSAP?

Applying for OSAP

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How do students apply for OSAP?

• Students can apply for OSAP online at: ontario.ca/osap.

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When is the deadline to apply?

• Students will be able to register for OSAP in late November, when they apply to college/university through the Ontario Universities Application Centre and/or the Ontario College Application Service.
• The OSAP application will be released in Spring.
• OSAP will send registered students an email when the application is available.
• Students should apply as soon as they are accepted into a program.
• Students have until 60 days before the end of the study period.
• Late applications can cause delays and late fees for students.

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How often do students have to apply for OSAP?

• Students must apply for OSAP every year.

How do I apply for OSAP?

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• When you applied for college or university through the college or university application centre (OCAS/OUAC), you should have been directed to OSAP’s website, where you could register and set up your profile.

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• Use the same login to access the OSAP website

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Register and apply online at: ontario.ca/osap

Steps to apply for OSAP

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Go to ontario.ca/osap.

Click “Register” to create your profile.

Once you create an OSAP profile, you will be assigned an OSAP Access Number (OAN).

Log in and click “start new app” to fill out the application.

Gather all required documents. (You’ll get a list at the end of your application.)

Upload your documents online, or mail/deliver them to your financial aid office.

Print, sign and take your MSFAA to a designated Canada Post office.

The Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) is your lifetime loan agreement.

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Track the status of your application online, and learn how much money you’ll get and when. You can even do this from your phone!

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OSAP in the digital age

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OSAP in the digital age

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• Ontario is redesigning OSAP for the digital age, making it faster, and easier to use, so that students can apply, check their status and manage their financial assistance anywhere, anytime, on any device.

Desktop

Mobile

Tablet

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Communicating the changes

Snapchat

Our digital marketing campaign finished in January. We’re ramping up our communication efforts in March to coincide with the launch of the application.

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Stay informed about the changes to OSAP!

Visit OSAP tools and resources to help educate students (and each other) about OSAP. �Go to Ontario.ca/OSAPpartners

Sign up for our monthly OSAP Transformation e-Newsletter!

Get on the list, email: OSAP.Transformation@ontario.ca

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Questions?

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Questions?

• Visit/call/email the Financial Aid Office of the school you plan to attend
• Visit the OSAP website: ontario.ca/osap

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