OSAP/Financial Aid FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions about OSAP and Financial Aid at Confederation College
Explore funding options, application details, and eligibility criteria to support your education journey. Get all the answers you need in our OSAP Financial Aid FAQ section.
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- You can apply for assistance through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) at ontario.ca/osap. It is an online application. There is no cost to apply online. You will automatically be assessed for both Federal and Provincial grant funding as well as Federal and Provincial loan funding. The student loans are interest free while you are in school. Repayment of loans does not start until 6 months after you cease full time studies. Full time means a minimum 60% course load (40% if you have a permanent disability).
- Entrance awards are available for students entering the first year of their program at Confederation College as a full-time student. Learn more about Scholarships, Bursaries & Awards.
- The application for in-program awards is available for students attending full-time. You can check by visiting the Scholarships, Bursaries & Awards page. These are awarded in the winter semester.
- Other awards become available during the school year. In some cases students are notified via email or you can check the Scholarships, Bursaries & Awards page. You can visit our External Awards page for a listing and related links.
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Students apply for OSAP via the Ontario government’s OSAP portal. If you need help, check out the step-by-step guide to applying for OSAP.
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You may be eligible for OSAP if you are an Ontario residents who is a:
- Canadian Citizens
- Permanent Resident
- Protected Person/Refugee (Protected Person Status Document is required)
- Have Ontario residency, that is, have lived in Ontario for at least 12 consecutive months without attending full-time postsecondary school, or have not been in Canada for 12 months but have lived in Ontario during the months since arriving to Canada.
You may be ineligible for OSAP if:
- You are in default on a previous OSAP student loan or on OSAP restriction
- You haven not maintained satisfactory academic progress while receiving OSAP
- You reported incorrect income information (student, parents or spouse) on your original application
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The application is available every spring, typically in April or May. Visit www.ontario.ca/osap for more information and to apply.
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The last date to apply is 60 days prior to your study period end date. Documentation and review deadlines are 40 days before the end of your study period. If you are expecting to have OSAP funding available for the start of school, you should apply no later than eight-twelve weeks prior to starting your studies.
2025–2026 applications for students enrolled in fall/winter programs must be submitted by February 23, 2026, and all documentation must be submitted by March 15, 2026.
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Log into your OSAP portal, click on the box “Check Status,” then select your current application.
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Depending on the applicant’s situation they may be required to submit supporting documentation (i.e. copy of marriage certificate, etc.). You will find a full list of your required documents in the “Application Details” section of the OSAP portal.
Once you have applied you will receive an email with 2-3 business days with instructions on submitting the Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) form.
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The application says to “estimate” these amounts. You will be asked to confirm these amounts at a later date.
You do not have to report bursaries/awards/scholarships issued by the college as the college will do this on your behalf.
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Once your application has been submitted and required documentation has been received, an assessment will be performed. The earliest assessment date is sometime in June. Log into the OSAP portal to view your application status. You can also get an “Estimate” from your OSAP file or use the “Estimator” on the OSAP site.
Note: These are only estimates and may not match an actual assessment.
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It can be due to a change on your application (such as a change in your income, receiving governmental income, or your spouse/parent’s income). OSAP also has policy changes from year to year that may cause your assessment to be higher/lower.
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If your OSAP application is complete, and you are registered as a full-time student, the Financial Aid Office will electronically confirm your enrollment for each semester (earliest is 15 days prior to starting school). Once confirmed, funding will then be disbursed electronically as of the first day of school and usually takes approx. 5 – 7 business days.
NOTE: Approx. 60% of your OSAP funding is distributed in the fall, with the balance being distributed in the Winter semester (assuming a fall start). For those in a three-semester program, please remember, there are only two disbursements of OSAP funding, not three, so budget accordingly.
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If you have not received your funds after 30 business days after confirmation of your enrollment, call the National Student Loans Student Centre at 1-888-815-4514.
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Students who have received an OSAP assessment equal to or greater than their tuition costs are eligible for a tuition deferral. Refer to the Tuition Deferral Policy for full details.
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- tuition
- books and equipment
- fees charged by your school
- living expenses (full-time students only)
- child care (for full-time and part-time students with children)
These vary person to person depending on your financial need and academic history.
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No, unfortunately you will be required to make the deposit on or before the deposit due date even if you are expecting to receive OSAP funding. OSAP does not pay the initial tuition deposit for you.
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Contact the other institution and ask them to “Close” your application, or you can go online and close it. Then submit a new application for Confederation College.
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Regular full-time OSAP funding is available for application if you have a course load of 60% and above. If you have a permanent disability then you can be considered for OSAP with a course load of 40% and above.
There is also a part-time CSL/grant application on the OSAP website if you are studying part-time. The minimum course load is 20% and maximum load is 59%. Funding will only address tuition, books, supply costs and child care costs. There is no living allowance with the part-time program.
If you are a student with a disability taking a 40% to 59% course load you have an option to apply for full-time or part-time OSAP, but you cannot receive both.
You must submit a part-time application for each term (September – December, January – April, May – August).
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Yes. You must have an OSAP application that has been fully processed. If you are a full-time student and a current/former crown ward, you will be automatically considered for an additional bursary. For more information, visit the OSAP website.
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Click “Apply” and then click “Forgot OAN or Password.” You will be given three options:
- “Online” – This is where you can answer the challenge questions you previously made up.
- “Email” – This is where the ministry will send you your OAN or password IF you had validated your email address.
- “In Person” or “By Mail” – If you choose “In Person,” then you may contact, in person, most publicly funded Ontario colleges or universities that have a Financial Aid Office. You must provide you social insurance card and government-issued photo I.D. (i.e. driver’s licence). They can retrieve your OAN or give you a temporary password. If you are not near a Financial Aid Office, you can request this information from the ministry by completing and mailing the Forgot Password and/or OSAP Access Number forms.
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An affidavit is a legal document that is used to support a person’s marital status (i.e. sole support parent, common-law). You can come to Confederation College and meet with a Commissioner for taking affidavits, or book a virtual Teams appointment. There is no charge for affidavits.
Note: If you are common-law, then both you and your partner must be present to complete the affidavit.
To book an in person or Teams appointment with Michelle (Financial Aid Analyst, Confederation College) please visit:
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When OSAP asks you for your program name, you have the option to search the first THREE letters of your program's name. Once you move to the next page it will populate a list of programs to sort through. Be sure to select the right program with the right start date.
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If you are attending Confederation College but not the Thunder Bay campus, you will have to select the cost code that has RE (this stands for regional).
If you are attending the Thunder Bay campus then do not select RE, since you are not a regional student.
If you are an on-line or Distance Ed student, you should also choose the RE option.
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No action required. The Financial Aid Office will correct this for you.
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Email [email protected]. and tell us what needs to change. We will direct you from there.
For banking info changes please click here.
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If you’re on Academic Probation for OSAP, it could mean that you did not successfully complete your studies while you were on OSAP. For the next academic year, your academic progress will be monitored closely. Please contact your Financial Aid Office is you have questions why you are on academic probation.
During your OSAP probation, you can still receive OSAP funding. However, you will be expected to pass the courses you registered for. If you progress academically through your courses, then the Academic Probation will be removed from your OSAP file. If you do not pass your courses, you may be restricted from OSAP funding for a minimum of 12 months. Frequent or multiple program changes, repeating courses, or failure to advance in your program can result in an Academic Probation. OSAP provides funding for the length of your program plus one year. In order to access OSAP funding while on Academic Probation, you will need to submit an academic probation letter.
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- There is no maximum amount students can earn
- Once you earn over $5,600 per semester, it may impact your assessment.
Student studying for 2 consecutive semesters (i.e. September – April) are able to make $11,200 without your assessment being impacted. Anything over that may affect funding and must be reported to the Financial Aid Office.
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If after dropping courses you fall below a 60% course load (or 40% for students with a permanent disability), you become ineligible for Full-Time OSAP for that period of study. Once you are below a 60% course load (or 40% for students with a permanent disability), you are no longer eligible for OSAP and your OSAP assessment will be adjusted. It will also have other impacts including Academic Probation or Restriction, as well as OSAP Overpayments and Grant to Loan Conversions.
A student has a 100% course load when they are taking all of the courses for their current semester as outlined on the program page on the Confederation College website.
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Log in to your secure NSLSC.ca account and click on “Loan Type and Number” under “Funding Summary” from your Dashboard to see your payment details.
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To apply for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant (OLSG), simply log into your online OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) account and submit your application at https://www.ontario.ca/page/osap-ontario-student-assistance-program
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Absolutely! You have the option to apply for both OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) and the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant (OLSG) to maximize your financial support for education.