Metadata
Title
Ontario residents
Category
courses
UUID
4fe3526bbc514704a9ca1e5364e4704b
Source URL
https://www.uottawa.ca/study/fees-financial-support/ontario-residents
Parent URL
https://www.uottawa.ca/study/fees-financial-support
Crawl Time
2026-03-18T07:45:33+00:00
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Ontario residents

Source: https://www.uottawa.ca/study/fees-financial-support/ontario-residents Parent: https://www.uottawa.ca/study/fees-financial-support

If you’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a protected person and you are an Ontario resident as defined by the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), you may be able to apply for financial assistance through OSAP and the Learn and Stay grant if you're studying in nursing.

Ontario Student Assistance Program

Ontario residents can apply for financial assistance through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). By filling out one OSAP application per academic year, you can have access to a large number of OSAP grants and loans depending on your status and circumstances.

CO-OP students:

Starting with your first work term, you will have to apply for OSAP for each term (including your work-term periods) for which you wish to request financial aid. Please refer to the OSAP renewal section.

Please be advised that if you are applying for OSAP for the spring/summer session, it is strongly recommended that you submit your application three weeks in advance of the start date of your first summer class.

Apply for OSAP

OSAP study period

OSAP defines a study period as the first possible day of classes to the last possible day of exams in a given term (or session).

Apply for OSAP

Find out if you're eligible

To be eligible for OSAP assistance, you must at least:

Restrictions

The following students, programs and courses do not qualify for OSAP assistance:

For micro-credential programs, visit the micro-credentials from Ontario's postsecondary schools website.

Courses you take at another institution are admissible for OSAP assistance only if the courses will be credited towards your University of Ottawa degree. You must provide Financial Aid and Awards with a letter of permission from your faculty confirming that the courses will be credited towards your degree at uOttawa as well as confirmation of enrolment and payment.

Visit the OSAP website for the full list of eligibility requirements.

Information to prepare

You must provide certain personal information in your OSAP application, including:

Complete your application

Complete the online application. Make sure to set aside a block of time to do it.

We strongly suggest that you submit your application as soon as possible, as it can take six to eight weeks to process. You don't need to wait to be accepted into a program before applying for OSAP.

You must submit your application at the latest 60 days before the end of your study period. Any application submitted after the deadline may delay the disbursement of your funds.

1. Create an OSAP account.

Go to the OSAP website, select the Register icon and create an account. You'll be issued an OSAP access number and password. Be sure to note this information in a safe place so you can view and check on the progress of your application at another time.

2. Log in and follow the steps outlined in the online application form.

Required documents

You must submit certain documents to complete your OSAP application. They include the following:

You must also read and sign the Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA), a lifetime student loan agreement under the aegis of the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC).

Two working days after you submit your financial aid request, OSAP will add your agreement number and the MSFAA web page URL to your OSAP account. At the same time, the NSLSC will send an introductory email inviting you to create your online account and complete your MSFAA. You’ll need your agreement number to complete the MSFAA process on the NSLSC website.

To find the required documents section, follow these steps:

  1. Log into your OSAP online account.
  2. Select Full-time Students Section.
  3. In the Action column, click Print/Upload.

3. Track the progress of your application

Deadlines

Full-time OSAP

The deadline to submit your online OSAP application is 60 days before the end of your study period. For OSAP purposes, a study period ends on the last day of exams, not the last day of the term or session.\ \ The deadline to submit your supporting documents is 40 days before the end of your study period.\ \ Example: If your study period ends on April 27, your application deadline would be February 26. Your deadline to submit all documents would be March 18.

Part-time OSAP

For part-time studies, submit an online part-time OSAP application per term and supporting documents no later than 40 days before the end of your study period. For OSAP purposes, a study period ends on the last day of exams, not the last day of the term or session.\ \ Example: If your study period ends on December 18, your application deadline (including all supporting documents) would be November 8.

Students can apply to full-time or part-time OSAP funding for studies during the Spring/Summer term as of the month of April.

To determine the type of application you must submit based on course load and spring-summer study period, use the spring-summer financial aid tool.

If you are an undergraduate student enrolled in the Faculty of Education, the School of Nutrition Sciences or the Faculty of Law Civil Law Section, contact the Financial Aid and Awards Service to see if you are eligible.

Deadlines

The deadline to submit the OSAP Spring-Summer Extension form is 40 days before the end of your full-time spring-summer study period. For OSAP purposes, a study period ends on the last day of exams, not the last day of the term or session. Applications submitted after these deadlines can’t be processed.   \    \ Example: If you’re submitting a OSAP Spring-Summer Extension form and your study period is from May 2 to June 16, your application deadline would be May 7.

Loan amount calculations

The amount of your loans is based entirely on your financial need, as calculated by OSAP. Under exceptional circumstances, students may appeal the loan amount. For information and to get the appeal forms, visit the OSAP website. You must submit your appeal forms to the University of Ottawa Financial Aid and Awards Service.

Receiving funds

OSAP payments are automatically applied to your university fees

Your OSAP funds are transferred directly to the University of Ottawa to pay your university fees. This process is called “redirection”. The Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) will send all or part of your OSAP funds directly to the University to pay your university fees on your behalf.

If your OSAP funding does not fully cover your university fees, you must pay the difference by the due date indicated in the Important academic dates and deadlines. For information on how to pay the balance of your fees, please see Payment of fees.

If there are any OSAP funds remaining after your fees have been paid, the remaining funds will be deposited into your bank account.

I submitted an OSAP Application for Part-Time Students, will my funds be redirected to the University?

No. The redirection of funds only affects OSAP applications for full-time students. You must pay your university fees by the due date.

Make sure that your uOttawa course selection matches your OSAP course load

To avoid delays, we strongly recommend that you check that your uOttawa course selection matches the OSAP course load you indicated on your OSAP application. If the two do not match, contact Financial Aid and Awards immediately to let us know that you have changed your course load: otherwise, your Confirmation of Enrolment will be delayed, which will delay your OSAP payment.

Where can I check how much OSAP funding has been redirected to the University?

This amount will be displayed in your Student Account. To view this information, log into uoZone. UnderApplications, click Statement of Account. Then click on the OSAP net billing tab.

What happens if the University doesn’t forward the information the Ministry needs to redirect my OSAP payment, and my tuition fees are not paid?

In your OSAP application you made the following declaration: “I must have financial assistance to continue my postsecondary studies, and I will use this financial assistance to pay my academic fees first and then to cover educational and living costs related to my studies.”

If, for any reason, the University of Ottawa does not forward the information the Ministry needs in order to redirect your OSAP payment, your OSAP funds will be deposited directly into your bank account. If this occurs, you are responsible for ensuring that your tuition fees are paid by the deadline specified in your statement of account.

OSAP renewal

To continue receiving OSAP funding throughout your studies, you need to complete a new application each year. You'll need to update your personal information such as income, marital status and contact information at the same time. Failure to do so when submitting a new application can result in complications with your eligibility to receive future OSAP loans. Complete your new application online through the OSAP website using your OSAP access number and password. It can take from six to eight weeks to process your new application.

Please note that OSAP applications for the summer sessions need to be submitted separately.

CO-OP students

Starting with your first work term, you must submit a separate OSAP application for each individual term (including your work terms) for which you wish to request financial aid.

If you are an undergraduate student, note that your scholarships and bursaries are only payable when enrolled in a study term (no payment during work term).

If you have received OSAP assistance in the past, are attending university full time but are not going to receive OSAP assistance for this term, be sure to apply for a Continuation of Interest-Free Status by accessing your OSAP account online before the deadline. If you fail to do so, you will be required to start repaying your student loans even if you are still attending university.

Loan responsibilities

Keep your contact information, income information and any other information in your student file up to date

Update your personal information with OSAP and the Financial Aid and Awards Service every year. You must be sure to update your contact information, income and marital status if there are changes as they can have an impact on your loan situation.

Repay loan overpayments

A loan overpayment happens when you received funds that exceed your entitlement for that academic year. Situations that can lead to an OSAP overpayment include a change in your course load, marital status or income as well as correction of inaccurate information on your application such as your income or income of a parent or partner and withdrawing from your program. You'll be notified in writing if a loan overpayment occurs. You'll be asked to repay the full amount to the National Student Loan Service Centre. When making a payment, be sure to request a receipt and submit a copy to the Financial Aid and Awards Service.

Maintain a satisfactory academic standing

You must meet the academic requirements of your program in order to remain eligible for financial assistance. Switching programs multiple times, reducing your course load from full time to part time, withdrawing from courses or too many course failures constitutes unsatisfactory academic progress and could affect your future eligibility for financial aid. Each time you cancel or drop courses resulting in a change in course load or study period, your OSAP will be reassessed. This can result in a loan overpayment, which you must repay.

Other conditions for the Spring/Summer term

Once you've submitted your Spring/Summer OSAP application, it can be reassessed only once following the addition of any courses. Any other change will result in your Spring/Summer OSAP application being reassessed. You must submit a completed OSAP Spring/Summer Modification Form (PDF, 209KB) as soon as possible after adding or dropping any courses.\ \ Be sure to advise Financial Aid and Awards of any change to your income by submitting a completed OSAP Spring/Summer Modification Form (PDF, 209KB) as quickly as possible following your income change.

Repayment

Paying back your OSAP loans

You're required to begin making loan repayments six months after one of the following:

However, if you decide to return to full-time studies again, you may not be required to continue making your payments during the time you are studying. Unless you've reached your lifetime OSAP limit, you may be able to postpone repayment of any loan debt you incurred for previous studies to a future date.

Interest

Although you aren't required to make a payment for six months from the date you complete your studies, interest begins to accrue as soon as you complete your program or withdraw from your studies. This grace period is commonly known as the "non-repayment period." You can, however, begin repaying your loan during this time if you wish.

Continuation of Interest-Free Status

If you have received OSAP assistance in the past and are attending university full time without receiving OSAP assistance, be sure to complete a Continuation of Interest Free Status Application before the deadline. If you fail to do so, you will be required to start repaying your student loans even if you are still attending university.

Contact your lender

Contact your lender to make your repayment arrangements. Some lenders do contact students before the six-month grace period ends. However, if the lender is unable to reach you, you're responsible for contacting the lender to set up a loan agreement and for managing your loan payments. If you don't contact the lender, you may find your loan payments are being automatically withdrawn from the same bank account where your loans were deposited. If you don't have the funds to cover the payments in that account, you risk going into default, which will negatively affect your credit rating for years.

Tips to repay your loans

Resources to help you repay your loans

Forms

If you’re studying full time but not receiving OSAP for the current study period, be sure to apply for a Continuation of Interest-Free Status by accessing your OSAP account online before the deadline.

Ontario Learn and Stay grant

The Ontario government administers a grant program which covers full tuition, books and other direct educational expenses for nursing students. You’re eligible for the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant if you’re a first-year nursing student in 2025–2026, you started or are continuing your studies as a second-year nursing student in 2025–2026 or you’re continuing your studies as a third-year nursing student in 2025–2026.

Learn more about the grant

Get your questions answered

Applying for scholarships and awards

Graduate studies funding