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Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)
The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a government funded program that assists eligible students to pay for their postsecondary education through grants and loans. In order to be considered, students need to apply for the funding on the Government of Ontario OSAP website.
OSAP applications for 2023-24 are open now - apply early!
OSAP Eligibility
OSAP considers postsecondary education to be a shared investment among students, their families, the government and postsecondary institutions. Assistance is based on multiple factors and the amount of money you are eligible to receive depends on:
- Education expenses: The amount of money you need for tuition, books, child care, personal living expenses (full-time students), supplies and equipment.
- Course load: Whether you’re a full-time or part-time student and how many courses you are enrolled in each term.
- Personal financial situation: Based on you and your family’s income, family size, dependants and other factors.
You must be enrolled in an OSAP-approved degree program to be eligible for funding. For further details on OSAP eligibility requirements, review full-time student funding and part-time student funding.
The OSAP program is available to assist with costs associated with your post-secondary education but many students will require additional resources beyond OSAP to assist in paying for all costs. If you feel you will require funding beyond what OSAP can provide we recommend investigating the following:
- Residence Costs: On-campus housing options can range in price and OSAP assessed living costs will not fully cover the costs of on campus residence and meal plans fees. Check with the Department of Residence to see if less expensive residence or meal plan options are available to you.
- Career Centre: Many students will maintain a part-time job and/or work through the summer months to earn additional income for the school year. The Laurier Career Centre has job search resources to assist students in finding employment.
- Scholarship and Bursary Applications: We encourage all students to submit an online student profile through LORIS to be considered for competitive scholarship, award and donor-supported bursary opportunities. Review Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries for more information and for deadline dates each academic year.
- Bank Student Line of Credits: many financial institutions offer line of credit products especially designed for students. Please check with your financial institution directly for more information on student products and eligibility.
- Money management and budgeting tools: Dollars and Sense money management program offers programming and resources to assist students in effectively managing and budgeting their financial resources through the school year.
Laurier students taking courses on a Letter of Permission at another institution can apply for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding as long as they are registered in an OSAP eligible degree program and course(s) count towards your degree requirements at Laurier. Students cross-registered at the University of Waterloo will automatically have their University of Waterloo courses considered with their Laurier registration. For additional information, contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@wlu.ca.