What is OSAP?
Am I eligible for OSAP?
Ontario residents of any age can apply for OSAP as long as you:
- Are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person;
- Have lived in Ontario for 12 months before starting university or college;
- Are enrolled in an approved post-secondary school
- Meet academic progress requirements
In addition, OSAP will consider whether you've failed a credit check, declared bankruptcy, or have failed to pay back any other loans or grand/bursary overpayments.
How can I apply for OSAP?
Before you begin your application, you'll need:
- information about your school and program
- your SIN
- your parents' or spouse's SIN
- your tax information
- your parents' or spouse's tax information
You can get tax information from income tax returns.
When you have everything you need and you're ready to apply, follow the steps below:
- Register online for an OSAP account with your Social Insurance Number (SIN). Make sure to write down your OSAP Access Number and password to login in the future.
- Apply for OSAP, which usually takes less than 15 minutes. You can always save your application and finish it later.
- Submit your application before the deadline (see below).
- Review the estimate of how much OSAP funding you're eligible for after submitting to figure out how much you need to save on your own.
- Sign and submit any required declaration forms or additional documents, which are due no later than 40 days from the end of your study period.
- Check your OSAP account regularly to receive updates about your funding.
When do I apply for OSAP?
For most full-time and part-time programs, the deadline to submit your OSAP application is no later than 60 days before the end of your study period.
If your OSAP-approved part-time program is for 20 weeks or less, you have until 40 days before the end of your study period to submit your application.
However, it's recommended that you submit your online OSAP application by June 30 before the start of the academic year in order to receive your funds in time for the fall term.
Who can I ask for help with my application?
If you run into any issues, contact your financial aid office. They'll be able to answer questions about OSAP, your qualifications, and processes.
Find your financial aid office, if you’re going to:
- a public college or university in Ontario
- a private or other type of school in Ontario
- a college or university outside Ontario, except McGill University or Concordia University
- McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal