Third-Party Sponsorship
If you receive funding from your First Nations Band or the Métis Nation to cover tuition, books, living expenses, and more, you are considered a sponsored student.
Being a sponsored student can feel confusing! Check out our frequently asked question to help guide you through the sponsorship process. Your Indigenous Student Support Coordinator (ISSC) is available if you have any lingering questions or if you are having any issues, don't hesitate to reach out to your Indigenous Support Coordinator for further assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Especially during your first year of university, understanding your student account can be confusing. You can always reach out to your Indigenous Student Support Coordinator for support in understanding your student account and invoice. You can also stop by the Service Laurier office at your campus for support from the Service Laurier and Enrolment Services team.
There are many reasons that you could be locked out of your LORIS account. Things such as financial holds and forgotten passwords could be the culprit. If you need assistance with your LORIS account, reach out to the Indigenous Student Support Coordinator for your campus. ISSCs are trained to navigate Band Sponsorship Policies and can help with breakdown complex cases. You can also check this webpage for common errors and support to connect with ICT for technology issues related to LORIS.
No, if your First Nations Band has completed Laurier’s Sponsorship Process they will be invoiced directly by Laurier.
You will receive a student invoice showing all your fees, including those not covered by your band. If your band requests a copy of your student invoice, inform them that, as long as they have completed the Sponsorship Process, they will be invoiced directly by Laurier.
Notify your band if you plan to change your program or course registration as soon as possible. Different sponsoring agencies have varying policies and procedures for these changes, and making changes without prior approval could affect your living allowance or future sponsorship. Your ISSC can assist you with these discussions.
You can find more information to opt out of the health plan here. When you are opting out some things to note: Name of Insurance: Non-Insured Health Benefits (NHIB)
Policy #: Status Card Number
Certificate Number: Your student number with two 00 at the end
Even if you receive financial support from your organization, consider how the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) can benefit you. It provides opportunities to apply for student aid through grants and loans, offers unique experiences, and grants access to awards not available through Laurier's scholarships and bursaries. You can choose to accept any eligible OSAP grants or any eligible OSAP loans and grants.
Fund Disbursement:
Due to the timing of sponsorship processing, you may have outstanding fees when OSAP is distributed. If you are receiving OSAP, you will notice that these funds are automatically applied to any outstanding fees on your Laurier student account, which may appear to contribute to the fees your sponsorship already covers.
The sponsorship processing occurs approximately three weeks after the start of the semester (after the last day to add/drop classes). You can request your OSAP funds as a direct deposit to your personal bank account after your sponsorship has been processed.
For instructions and support with this process, please contact your ISSC.
There are two different ways your sponsorship may cover your textbooks costs: either through credits at the Laurier bookstore, or by reimbursing you once you have purchased your required textbooks.
Bookstore Credit: To access your bookstore credit for course materials, inform the staff at the bookstore that you are a sponsored student during checkout. They will confirm your status as a sponsored student and complete the checkout process.
Reimbursement: Check your Band’s education policy. Most bands that provide reimbursement for approved course materials will need copies of your receipts to be scanned or faxed to their office. See your ISSC for help with this!
You will receive automatic emails from Laurier reminding you of tuition deadlines. After confirming sponsorship, your sponsoring agency will settle your tuition following the last day to add/drop courses (typically two to three weeks into the term).
Your LORIS account may show late fees after the due date, but these late fees will be adjusted based on the sponsorship. However, fees not covered by your band, such as Health and Dental fees or online textbooks, must be paid on time to avoid late fees.