Part-Time Funding
Students enrolled in a 20% — 50% course load may be eligible for part-time funding for educational costs through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). Eligible students must apply for funding on a term-by-term basis by following the step-by-step application process.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for funding through the part-time OSAP program, you must meet the criteria below as well as certain residency and income requirements specified on the OSAP website:
- Registered in an OSAP-approved degree program.
- Previous OSAP loans must be in good standing (i.e. you have not defaulted on a student loan and/or you are not restricted from participating in financial aid programs).
- You have maintained satisfactory full-time and part-time OSAP academic progression requirements while receiving prior government financial aid.
Application Process
COVID-19: IMPORTANT SERVICE CHANGES FOR LAURIER FINANCIAL AID OFFICE
Due to the current situation with COVID-19 the Laurier Financial Aid office is closed for in-person or phone service. Staff are working remotely and will continue to provide service via email.
Updates on OSAP processing due to COVID-19 are posted online at students.wlu.ca/OSAP.
Laurier is providing ongoing updates on the novel coronavirus website.
Step 1: Submit Your Application Online
The part-time OSAP student application is submitted online and must be submitted for each registered term individually. Applications submitted for the full year will be adjusted by our office to reflect the current term only. New applications for each term must be submitted online and all required documentation must be received by the Financial Aid Office no later than 40 days before the end of the term study period.
Don't forget to provide your Laurier student ID number on your application to help ensure we can process your application as quickly as possible!
Step 2: Submit All Required Documentation
Your application cannot be processed until all required documentation has been submitted. All required documentation must be received by the Laurier Financial Aid office no later than 40 days before the end of the term study period. Submit all the required documentation which may include: Ontario Student Assistance Program for part-time students consents, instructions, declaration and signature pages, an explanation of financial situation or proof of income (a Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency is required) and a Part-time Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (PT-MSFAA).
Part-time Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (PT-MSFAA): An email will be sent to you by the National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC) and your online Required Documents listed will provide a link and your PT-MSFAA number within a few days from your application submission date. The PT-MSFAA is required even if you have previously submitted a Full-time MSFAA.
Additional documentation may be required and will be indicated in the 'Required Documents' section of your application. Your application cannot be processed until all required documentation has been submitted.
Required documents for your OSAP application must be submitted through upload directly to your OSAP application.
- You can only upload a file that is a PDF format - Ensure your scanned document is clear and easy to read before saving it as a PDF (.pdf ) file format. You cannot upload a file that is password protected.
- PDF file should not be larger than 2MB. The exception is declaration and signature pages, which can be up to 5MB.
- If your file size is too large, you may need to upload partial documentation as two separate files. If doing this, we recommend putting a note on the top of your upload indicating multiple file submissions.
- Optional documents can be uploaded by selecting the link that indicates 'Click here if you have other (optional) documents to upload' and selecting 'Go to optional uploads'.
Please Note: Important Application and Document Deadlines and affidavit document requirements. If unable to upload documents directly to your application, they can be mailed (Laurier Financial Aid Office, 75 University Ave W., Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5) however due to campus closures mail receipt is limited and processing of mailed documents is delayed.
Step 3: Enrolment Confirmation
Once you have completed the online application and have submitted all required documentation, Laurier will confirm your enrolment for funding release. This process is completed automatically by the Laurier Financial Aid office at the beginning of each term for completed applications to ensure the applicant is enrolled part-time for the study period applied for and is registered in the same course load that is indicated on the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) application. Please allow 1-3 weeks from the start of term for all completed part-time applications to be confirmed. Once your part-time enrolment has been successfully confirmed, funding is typically received within 10 business days.
Step 4: Monitor Your Application Status
Monitor your application status on your LORIS account and on your Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) account. It is considered the student’s responsibility to ensure all required information has been submitted to complete the OSAP application process.
OSAP Status Updates
- OSAP status updates, including notice of course load errors, will be provided on LORIS under the 'Student Awards and Financial Aid' tab. Select 'View My Student Aid/Funding' and then select the current 'Aid Year' and click on 'Continue' to view the status of your application.
- Required documentation information will be indicated on your OSAP application.
- Communication regarding missing information will be sent to your Laurier email account and/or through your OSAP Message Centre.
Step 5: Part-Time Funding Release
Part time funding release each term begins after the first day of classes each term and may take up to 1-3 weeks for completion for all students with completed applications. Confirmation of enrolment requires that you have submitted all required documents and you are enrolled in the same course load as indicated on your OSAP application. If you have an outstanding balance on your Laurier student account when funding is released by OSAP, the OSAP funding will be automatically directed to pay your outstanding tuition and fees at Laurier at time of confirmation of your enrolment to OSAP. Any remaining amount of OSAP funding available after your Laurier fees have been paid will go directly to your bank account.
Please note: If receiving an Ontario Part-time Tuition Grant this funding will be sent by cheque and this grant amount cannot be applied directly to your fees at Laurier. Beginning the Spring 2020 term these cheques will be mailed to you directly from the Ministry. Please ensure your mailing address on your OSAP profile is correct when applying for funding.
Review Paying Laurier Fees for additional information on how OSAP payments impact your Laurier student account.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure all required information has been submitted to complete their OSAP application and to ensure all fees are paid each term.
Course Load Changes
Any changes to the number of courses you are taking after you have submitted your part-time application will require that your application be adjusted and resubmitted with the correct course load and fee information to reassess your funding eligibility. Ensure you notify the Financial Aid Office immediately if you change your course load after submitting your OSAP application by completing the Course Load Update Form. Please note, you will need to log in with your MyLaurier username and password to access this form. Course load changes made after the release of your part-time OSAP funding may impact your academic progress eligibility for part-time OSAP in a future term.
Academic Progress Requirements
To remain eligible for future part-time OSAP funding, you must successfully complete and pass all courses funded through part-time OSAP. If you do not successfully complete and pass your part-time OSAP funded courses in a term, you must self-fund and successfully complete and pass your courses for one part-time term before being eligible for further part-time OSAP funding. As of 2020-21 a pass is considered with a grade of a D- or higher.
Note: If you have previously received part-time OSAP funding (for a 50% course load or less), an unofficial transcript will be required as part of any new part-time OSAP applications to show successful completion of all courses from your previous part-time OSAP funded term. All submitted documentation is reviewed in the date order received and may take 2-3 weeks for processing in peak periods. If a previous term transcript is required on your application it is recommended that you pay your school fees to Laurier by your original invoice due date because previous term grades may not be available prior to the start of classes which could delay your assessment and release of funding.
Maximum Part-time Canada Student Loan
Your outstanding Part-time Canada Student Loan balance cannot exceed $10,000 at any time. Once you have received this maximum amount, no further loan funding will be available. It is important that you indicate the correct balance of current outstanding Part-time Canada Student Loan on your part-time OSAP application each term. Funding release can be delayed if information provided on your application is incorrect.
Maintaining Interest Free Status for Previous Part-Time Canada Student Loans
If you are enrolled in the current term as a part-time student in an OSAP-eligible program (20-50% course load), interest free status is available if:
- a confirmed part-time OSAP application for the current term, or
- completed a Canada Student Loans Program Confirmation of Enrolment Schedule 2 online with the NSLSC On-Line Service (login to view My Dashboard - Confirm My Enrolment menu. Select 'I have a Part-time Loan' within the options)
Note: If you have previous full-time loans and decide to attend school part-time (50% course load or less) interest will accumulate and you will be required to make payments on your full-time loans; however payments on your previous part-time loans can be deferred.
If you are enrolled in the current term as a full-time student (60% course load or higher, or 40% course load or higher for students registered with OSAP with a permanent disability) in an OSAP-eligible program, interest accumulation of your previous part-time and full-time OSAP loans will be placed on hold if you have:
- a full-time OSAP application for the current term, or
- completed a Continuation of Interest-Free Status application for full-time students