Full-Time OSAP

Full-time students who are Ontario residents can apply for governmental financial aid through the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), which assists eligible students through a combination of grants and loans. OSAP can help full-time students pay for tuition, books and equipment, fees, living expenses, and child care. The amount of money an OSAP-eligible student receives depends on their educational expenses, course load, and personal financial situation.

Am I Eligible for Full-Time OSAP?

Students in most undergraduate and graduate programs leading to a certificate, diploma, or degree can apply for OSAP funding.

OSAP is open to Ontario residents of any age who are:

To view all the eligibility requirements, please consult the OSAP website.

  • Don’t meet academic progress requirements; 
  • Have enough financial resources, including other forms of government aid, to cover the educational costs recognized by OSAP; 
  • Report income on your OSAP application that’s significantly different from what you reported to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA); 
  • Have defaulted on a student loan; 
  • Have grant or bursary overpayments or multiple outstanding loan overpayments; 
  • Failed a credit check; 
  • Filed for bankruptcy, made a consumer proposal, obtained a consolidation order or filed a document seeking relief for the orderly payment of debts; 
  • Have reached your lifetime limit of student loan funding (i.e., 340 weeks of funding, 400 weeks of funding for doctoral studies, up to 520 weeks of funding for students with disabilities); 
  • Are an international student; 
  • Are not an Ontario resident. 
  • International Dentist Advanced Placement Program (IDAPP) for Foreign-Trained Dentists 
  • Dental Specialty Assessment and Training Program (DSATP) 
  • Non-conjoint Toronto School of Theology Programs (TST students in conjoint programs are eligible to apply for OSAP) 
  • All executive programs at the Rotman School of Management 
  • Executive MBA programs at the Rotman School of Management   
  • Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting – Rotman School of Management 
  • International Pharmacy Graduate Program (Canadian Pharmacy Skills) for individuals with foreign pharmacy degrees 
  • Ontario Institute for Studies in Education – additional qualification courses 
  • School of Continuing Studies courses 
  • Residency programs 
  • Certificate in Environmental Management 
  • Certificate in Renewable Energy 
  • Certificate in GIS for Environmental Management 
  • Certificate in Environmental Health 
  • Certificate in Leadership in Higher Education 
  • Internationally Trained Lawyers Program 
  • National Committee on Accreditation at the Faculty of Law 
  • Master of Mathematical Finance 
  • Doctor of Public Health 
  • Master of Forensic Accounting
  • Any non-degree studies

You must be registered in a full-time course load in each term of study to receive your OSAP funding. Waitlisted and audited courses do not count toward your course load for OSAP purposes. 

The Full-Time OSAP minimum course loads are: 

  • Undergraduate students: 1.5 credits per term. 
  • Undergraduate students with a disability (permanent disability or persistent or prolonged disability confirmed on OSAP profile): 1.0 credit per term. 
  • Graduate students: full-time registration status or confirmation from your coordinator (PDF) that you will be in a 60% course load (or 40% if you have a documented disability). 
  • OSAP does not allow averaging of course loads between terms. 

You are an Ontario resident for OSAP purposes if you:

  • Have always lived in Ontario, or 
  • Ontario is the last province you have lived in for 12 months in a row without being a full-time college or university student, or
  • You live in Ontario now, and lived in Canada for less than 12 months in a row before starting college or university studies.

If you are a married student, you are an Ontario resident if:

  • Your spouse has always lived in Ontario, or
  • Your spouse has lived in Ontario for the last 12 months in a row without being a full-time college or university student, or
  • All of these statements are true:
    • You now reside in Ontario
    • You’ve lived in Canada for less than 12 months in a row
    • Your spouse has lived in Canada for less than 12 months in a row.

If you are a dependent student (i.e., you have been out of high school less than six years), you can be considered an Ontario resident if:

  • Ontario is the last province in which your parent(s) have lived in for at least 12 months in a row, or
  • All of these statements are true:
    • You now reside in Ontario.
    • You’ve lived in Canada for less than 12 months in a row.
    • Your parent(s) have lived in Canada for less than 12 months in a row.

How Much Money Could I Receive?

Check the OSAP Aid Estimator

How Do I Apply for Full-Time OSAP?

Apply for Full-Time OSAP early (we recommend in May or June) to ensure there is enough time to process your application before the start of classes. 

See OSAP Deadlines

Apply online through the OSAP website.   

Submit your Full-Time OSAP application, sign the student consents and declaration pages. If your parent and/or spouse signatures are also required, you must print and have them sign the appropriate consents and declarations pages. Upload the pages in the required documents section of the OSAP website. 

Upload any other required documents as early as you can. 

If you are a returning applicant, you may not need to submit any documentation. 

If you are receiving OSAP for the first time, you will need to submit the Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA). The MSFAA is your student loan agreement. Students typically only need to complete an MSFAA the first time they take out student loans. By electronically signing the MSFAA, you agree to the terms and conditions for holding federal and provincial funding. In addition, it allows for the electronic release of OSAP funding. The MSFAA process is in place for all OSAP recipients. Visit the Government of Canada website for more information about the MSFAA 

About two to three days after you submit your Full-Time OSAP application, you will receive a welcome email from the National Student Loans Service Centre with instructions about how to complete the online identity verification process and provide your banking information. 

I Applied for Full-Time OSAP – Now What?

After applying and uploading required documents, please check your status on the OSAP website on an ongoing basis. The processing time for uploaded documents is around 4-8 weeks.

After all documentation has been processed and you have registered and enrolled in classes, U of T will confirm your enrolment in full-time studies with OSAP. At this point, your funds will be released. OSAP funding takes approximately 5-10 business days to process after your enrolment has been confirmed. If you applied by June 30th, and have submitted any necessary documentation, your funds will normally be issued within the first two weeks of classes.

Your OSAP funding will be sent directly to U of T to pay your tuition, incidental fees, and residence fees for the term. In other words, your fall term fees will be paid in fall term, and your winter term fees will be paid in winter term. For most students, your OSAP funding will be redirected in the first few weeks of classes. If you are eligible for more OSAP than you owe to U of T for the term, the remainder will be deposited electronically in your bank account.

Deferring your Tuition

You can register without payment while you are waiting for your OSAP funding to arrive. When your invoice is available, you will have the option to defer your tuition on ACORN. Payment deadlines and further information is available on the Student Accounts website.

Important: If you have deferred your tuition payment, please wait until all OSAP payments are processed before paying your tuition in each term to avoid double payments.

For information on making payments, deferring tuition, and refunds, overpayments, see Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) Payments.   

Students receiving OSAP must maintain satisfactory academic progress according to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities policy. This means students are required to successfully complete the academic requirements of their program to continue to be eligible for OSAP. Learn about the minimum OSAP academic progress standards.

If you have further questions, please see these resources: