Financial Aid

Who Can Get OSAP

• Full time students taking 60% (9 credits per term) or more of a full course load.
• Students with disabilities taking 40% (6 credits per term) or more of a full course load.

How to Apply

OSAP applications are available. For complete details, see the guide on filling out your Application.

Please note that you must submit your application at least 60 days before the end of your study period, and your supporting documentation must be submitted at least 40 days before the end of your study period.

How to Get OSAP

You are required to sign and submit a declaration and signature page indicating that you have read and understood your rights and obligations. If you apply online, you will be able to print a copy from the website or request that the ministry mail it to you. You will also be required to complete your Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA).

Documents You Need to Provide

To view what documents you need to provide, click on the “View Application Details” link on your OSAP online account. You will have access to your required documents under the title “Documents you must provide”.

You will be required to provide documents to support the information that you provide on your application. For example, if you are married, you will be required to provide a copy of your marriage certificate. When you complete an online application, the documentation that you must provide will be listed. It is important to note that some documents are required before OSAP can calculate your aid, and others are required before your aid can be released.

Who Can Get OSAP

Students taking 20 to 59 percent of a full course load (3 to 8 credits per term) may be eligible for part-time OSAP. Your program of study must be degree-granting, and your total family gross income must fall below the applicable maximum based on your family size.

How to Apply

Please note that you must submit your application at least 60 days before the end of your study period, and your supporting documentation must be submitted at least 40 days before the end of your study period.

Information and application forms are available online or from the Student Awards Office, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario P3E 2C6.

Documents You Need to Provide

To view what documents you need to provide, click on the “View Application Details” link on your OSAP online account. You will have access to your required documents under the title “Documents you must provide”.

Eligibility

Students who are Canadian citizens or landed immigrants, who have been residents of Ontario for one year prior to beginning their studies, and meet admission requirements of a Canadian university or an eligible post-secondary institution in Ontario, may apply for financial assistance from OSAP. Students must be studying in a degree-granting program in order to qualify.

A student qualifies for OSAP on the basis of an established financial need; funds are provided to supplement a student's own financial resources and those of their immediate family. A student who intends to pay tuition fees with government loans should have applied for OSAP before the end of June of each year. If an application is submitted after this date, it is likely that funds will not be available in time for payment of registration. In this case, students are required to cover the first installment payment of tuition fees with their own resources.

Course Withdrawals and Changes

If you withdraw from or fail a course(s), your OSAP entitlement will be reduced, and this may result in an overpayment. If you incur an overaward, you may be restricted from OSAP, and you will be required to repay the loan overpayment in full in order to apply to OSAP in subsequent terms (even if you change institutions or return to study several years later). Consult the Student Awards Office before you withdraw from a course.

Refunds

All tuition refunds for OSAP applicants will be returned to the National Student Loans Service Centre on the applicant's behalf.

Payment of fees

Once your enrollment has been confirmed with OSAP, it is helpful to verify your Account Summary on your Self-Service account to ensure that your fees have been paid in full. Students are responsible for paying any outstanding balance that was not covered through their OSAP distribution.

Full-Time Status

If you're taking 60% (9 credits per term) or more of a full course load, please follow the following instructions. A person with a disability is a full-time student if they are taking at least 40% (6 credits per term) of a full course load.

In order to qualify for either Canada or Ontario student loans, you must register in and maintain a minimum course load of 60% in each term of study for which you are requesting assistance. In other words, you must be registered in 3 courses (or 9 credits) per term. For OSAP calculation purposes, a 6 credit September to April course is considered 3 credits in the 1st term and 3 credits in the 2nd term.

Information and application forms are available on the OSAP website or from the Student Awards Office, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario P3E 2C6.