Students with Disabilities

Ontario Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) and the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Disabilities (CSG-DSE)

Beginning in the 2022-23 academic year, students who are verified as having a permanent disability (PD), or persistent or prolonged disability (PPD)  may be considered for additional funding through OSAP such as the Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities.  

Additional funding may be available through the Ontario Bursary for Students with Disabilities (BSWD) and the Canada Student Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Disabilities (CSG-DSE) to help eligible full- and part-time students with the costs of eligible disability-related educational services and equipment, such as note-takers, tutors, or assistive technology.  

Students receiving financial aid from another province or territory should contact their province or territory to learn more about the disability-related programs that may be available. 

Am I Eligible for the BSWD and CSG-DSE?

If a student has received the maximum funding through BSWD and CSG-DSE, then the Alternate Grant may provide additional support upon the recommendation of Accessibility Services. For more information about the Alternate Grant and to apply, contact your Accessibility Services advisor.  

Find out more about the BSWD and CSG-DSE and eligibility. 

How Do I Apply for the BSWD and CSG-DSE?

Step 1: Apply to OSAP and self-identify that you have a permanent, or persistent or prolonged disability. 

Step 2: Meet with Accessibility Services on your campus. You must provide documentation to your Accessibility Services advisor that verifies your disability. 

Step 3: Once you have your OSAP results, apply for the BSWD/CSG-DSE, with the assistance of a U of T Accessibility Services advisor. 

Step 4: Once you have completed your application, the University Registrar’s Office will process your BSWD/CSG-DSE application and send you an email to log in to your online BSWD application.

Students can login to their online account to review their: 

  • Application status 
  • Approved amounts 
  • Service Estimate forms 
  • Communications with the University Registrar’s Office 

Application Deadline: Your application must be received no later than 60 days before the end of your study period.

Documentation Deadline: All required documents must be received no later than 40 days before the end of your study period.

Receipt Deadline: All receipts corresponding to the funding provided must be received no later than 30 days after the end of your study period.

  • Your ACORN mailing address must be up to date, and your U of T email address must be active. 
  • You must setup direct deposit on your ACORN account to receive your BSWD/CSG-DSE funds as a direct deposit in your bank account. You can track your payment by checking your fees account and look for ‘BSWD’ as the payment type. 
  • You must provide receipts to the University Registrar’s Office to show you spent your funding towards recommended services and support. 

BSWD/CSG-DSE Receipt Information, Instructions, and Deadlines

Receipts for BSWD/CSG-DSE purposes may be electronic or original receipts. Clear photocopies will be considered. Keep the original receipts for your records. 

The receipts must: 

  • Be dated within the same OSAP study period in which you receive the BSWD/CSG-DSE funding. 
  • Clearly show the vendor’s name, address, and contact information, items purchased, amount paid and method of payment.  
  • Show that purchases were made before the study period end date, with no exceptions. You are encouraged to purchase items promptly after receiving funding to maximize usage during the study period. 

Notes:  

  • If the purchase price for a recommended item is greater than the recommended amount, the expense will be capped at the recommended amount. 
  • If the purchase price for a recommended item is less than the recommended amount, you cannot transfer this underspending towards another recommended item. 
  • If you completely withdraw from your studies, your receipts must be dated prior to the date of withdrawal. 
  • If you reduce your course load below the minimum required level to maintain eligibility for your primary source of funding, your receipts must be dated prior to this date of course load reduction (e.g., to be eligible for provincial grants and loans through OSAP for Full-Time Students, Ontario requires students with a permanent disability to maintain a 40% course load). 

You must use the appropriate Receipts for Services form to account for BSWD/CSG-DSE funding: 

  • Receipts for BSWD/CSG-DSE purposes may be electronic or original receipts. 
  • Receipts can be uploaded in any file format.  
  • Receipts can only be uploaded after your BSWD/CSG-DSE Application has been processed. 
  • The maximum file size for total receipts uploaded is 4MB. To reduce large file sizes, scan documents at a lower resolution; create a PDF using the ‘lowest file size’ option; remove any unnecessary images.
BSWD/CSG-DSE Service FundingExpense Time Period for Services on ApplicationDeadline
Fall termFall & Winter termsEnd of fall term
Fall termFall term onlyEnd of fall term
Summer termSummer term onlyEnd of summer term
Winter termFall & Winter terms
End of winter term
Winter termWinter term onlyEnd of winter term
  • Receipts are processed in date order. Processing will take between four to six weeks. 
  • Receipts for items or services that are not recommended will not be considered. 
  • If receipts aren’t provided and/or you don’t use all of the funds provided to you in your study period, you must return the un-receipted/unused funding if the total amount is more than $100. Failure to do so may result in your restriction from further OSAP funding and/or BSWD/CSG-DSE funding. 
  • If you change your courses from those listed on the estimates you provided to Accessibility Services, you must consult with your Accessibility Services advisor. 

Notes: 

  • Receipts for recommended services from the first term are required prior to releasing any BSWD/CSG-DSE funding for the second term. If you have unused funds from the first term, you may carry funds over to the second term if your BSWD application indicates a service request for both terms. 
  • If the service amount you require for the winter term is less than anticipated, please include with your Receipt for Services form a signed letter stating the revised amount, including any unused funds, you will require. If the service amount is greater than anticipated, submit an additional BSWD/CSG-DSE application through Accessibility Services before the application deadline. 
  • Reimbursement of services paid by you before your BSWD Approval Date is not an automatic process and considered only when you submit receipts. These receipts should be submitted to the University Registrar’s Office after you receive notification of your BSWD Approval Date during your study period. 
  • If you completely withdraw from your studies, only service receipts dated prior to the date of withdrawal can be considered to account for bursary funding. 
  • If you drop particular courses but still maintain the minimum course load required by your primary source of funding, only receipts up to the date of the course drop will be considered to account for bursary funding linked to specific courses. 

Repayments are intended for BSWD or Alternate Grant only.

  • Students are responsible for planning sufficient time for repayments to reach the University and to be recorded on their BSWD account. The transfer of funds from major Canadian financial institutions normally takes three to five business days, however the transfer from Canadian credit unions can take much longer. 
  • BSWD repayments should not exceed the amount owed for the term or academic year. Please ensure you have the correct amount; if you are unsure, ask through emailing bswd.grants@utoronto.ca for the correct amount to be repaid. 
  • Keep your receipt or your BSWD/Alternate Grant repayment verification/confirmation number. This is proof of repayment and is required. 
  • Proof of payment must be forwarded to the bswd.grants@utoronto.ca as soon as repayment is made.

Depending on the timing of your repayment, these funds may unintentionally result in registration for the summer term. If you intend to register for courses during the summer term, you are required to pay the appropriate fees for the summer term.  

Procedure for Online Repayment 

Online or Telephone banking 

  • Log onto your online banking service or call your financial institution’s telephone service and provide them with your account number and the payee name ‘University of Toronto‘. 
  • Your account number consists of the first five characters of your surname (in capital letters) and the 10 numbers of your student number (if your student number is less than 10 numbers, add 0 to the beginning to make 10 characters).  
  • Make sure you distinguish between the letter ‘O’ and the number ‘zero’.  
  • Once repayment is made, forward a copy of your BSWD or Alternate Grant repayment verification/confirmation number via email to bswd.grants@utoronto.ca, including your name, student ID, and the amount paid. 

Accessibility Services

Accessibility Services advisors on each campus can provide information and assist with certain applications. Students with financial need who are not eligible for government funding for their disability-related educational expenses, or are not eligible for funding for all of their accommodations, can apply to the University for consideration of their needs. 

Contact Accessibility Services