On this page, learn more about OSAP and Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards
Ontario Student Assistance Plan
The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a financial aid program that can help you pay for college or university.
OSAP offers funding through:
grants: money you don’t have to pay back.
a student loan: money you need to repay once you’re done school.
When you apply for OSAP, we automatically consider you for both grants and loans. If you don’t want to take a loan, you can decline it after your application is approved.
There are also programs to help you repay your student loan once you’re done school.
OSAP can help you pay for:
tuition
books, equipment and supplies
compulsory student fees charged by a school
living expenses (full-time students only)
child care (for students with children)
OSAP is open to Ontario residents of any age who are:
Canadian citizens
permanent residents, or
You may not be eligible for OSAP if you:
don’t meet the academic progress requirements
have enough financial resources, including other forms of government aid, to cover your expenses allowed by OSAP
report income on your OSAP application that’s significantly different from what you reported to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
have defaulted on a student loan
have grant or bursary overpayments or multiple outstanding loan overpayments
failed a credit check
declared bankruptcy or consumer proposal, or consolidation orders
have reached your lifetime limit of student loan funding (340 weeks of funding, 400 weeks of funding for doctoral studies, 520 weeks of funding for students with disabilities)
are an international student
Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards
Scholarships and Bursaries are free money. You do not need to pay it back. For this reason, everyone should try and apply!
Important note: Scholarships are based on merit, using academic and or non-academic criteria. Bursaries are based on financial need. Both scholarships and bursaries are free money and do not need to be repaid.
ScholarshipsCanada.com claims to be Canada's most comprehensive scholarship portal, search through their extensive database to find scholarships, student awards, bursaries and grants. You'll also find information about student loans, applications and budget planning.
Scholarships and Financial Aid at Ontario Colleges - Most college websites have a section on scholarships and financial aid that is available at their college. The link to scholarships and financial aid is usually visible on the homepage or is listed in the prospective students section.
Scholarships and Financial Aid at Ontario Universities - The Ontario Universities' Application Centre eINFO website has a scholarship search tool to help you find the internal scholarships, unique to a specific university and available to first-year students. Once you have located a scholarship of interest, visit the Financial Aid section of the university's website for additional information.
Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU)has links to a number of other non-OSAP scholarships and bursaries.
Athletic Awards, Scholarships and Bursaries - All athletic financial awards offered by Canadian universities must follow the criteria established by Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), the national governing body of university sport in Canada. For additional information visit the OFSAA website. For info on the awards that are available at a specific Ontario university, use the OUADirectory to contact them for your sport.