Making It Easier To Apply For Student Aid

OntarioNewsNorth.com Feed

November 12^th, 2023----------------------------------------------------CLICK HERE for OntarioNewsNorth.com advertising information. ---------------------------------------------------

Making It Easier To Apply For Student Aid

Written by Ontario Newsroom on 20 January 2011

January 20, 2011

McGuinty Government Improves Access To Applications And Information

Starting this year, university and college students will be able to apply for OSAP three months earlier, helping them better plan ahead for college and university.

OSAP applications will now be available in February instead of May. In addition, Ontario is putting applications for part-time students on a brand-new OSAP website. These changes will help students plan their budgets earlier and better understand the various types of financial assistance available.

Other recent changes to Ontario’s student aid program are helping students graduate with less debt by:

Providing more assistance for tuition, living costs, books, supplies and equipment
Allowing students to keep more of the money they earn from part-time jobs
Providing a no-interest no-payment period on student loans for six months after graduation
Providing additional support for married students and students with children
Introducing a new grant for part-time students
Offering students more flexibility on repayment.

This is part of the McGuinty government’s Open Ontario plan to help every student succeed and build a knowledge-based economy for the future.

QUICK FACTS

Ontario is the only province to offer financial assistance applications as early as February.
Over the past six years, Ontario has invested almost $1.6 billion to help make college and university easier to access and more affordable.
The changes to OSAP made this year are helping about 210,000 Ontarians.
Ontario’s 63 per cent postsecondary education rate is one of the highest of all OECD countries.
The government’s Open Ontario Plan will help raise Ontario’s postsecondary education rate to 70 per cent.
Ontario’s new credit transfer system will create flexibility for students so they won’t have to repeat courses when they move to a new college or university, saving them time and money.