OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program)

Student studying in a lounge with a MAC computer

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is an application-based government aid program for Ontario resident students. Based on the government's assessment of your educational costs and expected financial resources, OSAP offers a mixture of repayable loans and grants (money you will not need to repay). More information about the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) can be found on the OSAP website.

Eligibility requirements for OSAP

be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or have protected person status; international students are ineligible.
have Ontario residency, that is, have lived in Ontario for at least 12 consecutive months without attending full-time postsecondary school.
be neither in default on a previous OSAP student loan nor on OSAP restriction.
maintain satisfactory academic progress while receiving OSAP aid.
have demonstrated financial need as calculated by the government. Gross family income as well as student resources and assets are taken into consideration.

How you apply to these programs depends on whether you’ll be considered a full-time or part-time student. Use the “Full-Time OSAP” or “Part-Time OSAP” links for step-by-step guides.

Are you from a province other than Ontario? Visit the Out of province student aid web page to learn about your loan options.

Am I full-time or part-time?

Knowing whether you’ll be considered a full-time or part-time student determines which government aid program you will apply to. OSAP for Full-Time Students and OSAP for Part-Time Students are separate programs and require separate applications.

Course load when applying for OSAP Unit weights

1.0 units = 40%
1.5 units = 60%
2.0 units = 80%
2.5 units (or more) = 100%
Official co-op work term = 100% courseload
PD (professional development) and Professional Pilot courses are not counted towards course load. They are not eligible for OSAP funding. For example, if you are enrolled in 1.5 units plus PD then your course load is 60%.

Full-time

Enrolled in at least 1.50 units for at least 12 weeks
You have an approved OSAP Disability Verification form on your OSAP profile and are enrolled in a minimum of 1.0 units for at least 12 weeks
Official co-op work terms are always considered a 100% course load.

Part-time:

Enrolled in less than 1.5 units for at least 4 weeks.

Grad students:

Graduate programs do not have course load percentages. You are either enrolled in a full-time or part-time program. Use 100% as the course load on your OSAP application if you’re full-time, use 50% if you’re part time.