Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)

Need help applying for OSAP? OSAP & Stay and Learn Grant applications for 2025-2026 academic year are open now!

Need help applying for OSAP?

What Is the Ontario Student Assistance Program?

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
Student loans: money you need to repay once you’re done school. Repayment begins 6 months after your study period ends

When you apply for OSAP, you are automatically considered for both grants and loans. If you don’t want to take a loan, you can decline it after your application is approved. Students who are approved for OSAP funding are responsible for paying the spring tuition deposit in order to confirm their seat in their chosen program. This deposit is not paid by OSAP. All students are responsible for ensuring their tuition is paid in full by the deadline date noted in the academic schedule. When completing an OSAP application, students are applying for assistance funded by the provincial government and/or the federal government.

OSAP has more financial aid available when it comes to repaying your loans(opens in new window).

OSAP Calculator

The Ontario government has an estimator tool(opens in new window) you can use to see a general estimate of your potential OSAP funding. Note that this is only an estimate and will not necessarily match your final assessment.

Who is Eligible for OSAP?

Full-Time Students

You must be a Canadian citizen, protected person or permanent resident of Canada.
You must be an Ontario resident (living in Ontario for at least 12 months immediately prior to your study period, not including time you spent at a postsecondary institution), or have been in Canada for less than 12 months and resided in Ontario since your arrival.
You must be registered in full-time studies taking at least a 60% course load (40% for students with a permanent or persistent/prolonged disability).
You must maintain academic progress.
You must be in good academic standing.
Your program of study must be at the post-secondary level (degree, diploma or certificate program).
Your total family gross income falls below the applicable maximum based on your family size.

Part-Time Students

You must be a Canadian citizen, protected person or permanent resident of Canada.
You must be an Ontario resident (living in Ontario for at least 12 months immediately prior to your study period, not including time you spent at a postsecondary institution), or have been in Canada for less than 12 months and resided in Ontario since your arrival.
You must be registered in part-time studies taking at least a 20-59% course load.
Students taking less than 20% of their course load are not eligible for OSAP.
You must maintain academic progress.
You must be in good academic standing.
Your program of study must be at the post-secondary level (degree, diploma or certificate program).
Your total family gross income falls below the applicable maximum based on your family size.

Note

Part-time OSAP only covers the cost of tuition, books, transportation and child care costs if applicable.

How and when will I get my OSAP money?

A student starting school in September for a two-term program (fall and winter terms) can expect to receive two payments: the first in September and the second in January. Your OSAP funding(opens in new window) will be released in two installments. You'll typically receive 60% at the beginning of your study period, and 40% in your final semester. If your application is reassessed and more money is available, you may receive an additional payment that is paid out at another point during your study period.

For students in three semester programs (i.e. if you are enrolled in school for the Fall, Winter, and Spring/Summer courses), you will only receive TWO installments:

the first, when you start your fall study period (usually in September)
the rest, usually in winter (January)
You will not receive a third installment at the beginning of the spring/summer semester; your funds for this semester are included in the January installment, so it is essential to budget accordingly
The two installments are released as, 60% at the beginning of your study period and the remaining 40% in the winter semester

If you require financial aid, we have internal scholarships, bursaries and awards available for eligible students as well as External Scholarships and Awards opportunities.

Uploading Supporting Documents

You can view your required documents by accessing the “View Application Details” screen on the OSAP portal. Applications that are missing documents or are incomplete cannot be processed.

Once you’ve gathered and completed your required documents, you can upload them directly through the OSAP portal, mail them, deliver them directly to your financial aid office, or email them to financialaid@confederationcollege.ca. Your Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA(opens in new window)) must be completed online.

OSAP will let you know if you need a Full-Time or Part-Time MSFAA. The National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) will also send you an email when it’s time for you to register for your online account and complete your MSFAA online.

OSAP ID Requirements

You are required to bring the following identification (ID) for any in-person appointments relating to OSAP (including the issuing of OSAP password reset or OAN retrieval):

Government-Issued Social Insurance Card/Paper, or:

A Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment
A Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions, or
A confirmation of Social Insurance Number from Service Canada

Note

Your full SIN number must be visible.

Government-Issued Photo ID:

A valid driver’s license
A valid Canadian passport
A provincial health card with a photo
A valid permanent residency or citizenship card, or
Any other federally or provincially issued ID that contains your full name and a photo of you

OSAP Password Reset and OAN Retrieval

Forgot your OSAP password or Ontario Access Number (OAN)? Please refer to the section "Forgot Your Password" or "Forgot Your OAN" on the OSAP website(opens in new window).

If you are unable to retrieve your OAN/password through the website, please drop by The Hub or any Ontario public college or university’s financial aid office with the OSAP ID Requirements listed above.

Repaying Your OSAP(opens in new window)

Repayment starts when there is a 6-month break in full-time study. During this 6-month grace period, you will:

Not be charged interest on the Canada portion of your loans.
Be charged for the interest on the Ontario portion of your loans.

Through your My Service Canada Account (MSCA)(opens in new window) you can:

see the status of your loan
update your contact information
change your monthly payment amount
apply for the Repayment Assistance Plan(opens in new window)

You will receive a notice in the mail that your loan repayments are about to begin.

If you do not receive notice by mail, make sure you contact the NSLSC(opens in new window) before your six-month non-repayment period is over. You’ll want to review all aspects of your loan(s) and finalize details concerning repayment.

Your Responsibilities

By receiving OSAP funding you assume the following responsibilities:

To read and follow all the terms and conditions in the Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA)(opens in new window) form.
To use the funding to first pay your tuition and fees to Confederation College, then to cover other educational and living expenses related to your studies

Contact the Financial Aid Office if:

Any of the information on your OSAP application is incorrect (e.g. you entered a wrong value/answer)
Any of the information on your OSAP application has changed (e.g. you had a new child during your study period)
You have tried to complete your application/documents, but were unable to do so successfully and need help

If you fail to meet loan obligations the possible consequences include:

Reassessment and reduction of your OSAP entitlement
Refusal of future student loan assistance
Poor credit rating
Additional interest charges
Collection proceedings
Legal action
Loss of income tax refunds.

If you want someone to have access to information about your OSAP application, you need to update your OSAP profile. This can be done by logging into your OSAP account, navigating to “Release of Information to Others” in your profile, and adding or removing consent for a specific individual to access your information. Your consent gives the person access to all information in your OSAP file for a five-year period.

To update or delete consent Log into your OSAP account(opens in new window). Update or delete your consent through “Release of Information to Others” in your profile.

Income Tax Literacy

It's important to file your income tax each year. Read information on Student Tax(opens in new window) and The Benefits to Filing your taxes(opens in new window).