Education

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a financial aid program that can help you pay for college or university.

OSAP offers funding through:

• grants: money you don't have to pay back
• a student loan: money you need to repay once you're done school

When you apply for OSAP, we automatically consider you for both grants and loans. If you don't want to take a loan, you can decline it after your application is approved.

There are also programs to help you repay your student loan once you're done school.

OSAP can help you pay for:

• tuition
• books, equipment and supplies
• compulsory student fees charged by a school
• living expenses (full-time students only)
• child care (for students with children)

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

• Canadian citizens
• permanent residents, or
• protected persons

You may not be eligible for OSAP if you:

• don't meet the academic progress requirements
• have enough financial resources, including other forms of government aid, to cover your expenses allowed 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
• declared bankruptcy or consumer proposal, or consolidation orders
• have reached your lifetime limit of student loan funding (340 weeks of funding, 400 weeks of funding for doctoral studies, 520 weeks of funding for students with disabilities)
• are an international student

Search for OSAP approved schools

You can use OSAP to go to a private or public college or university anywhere in the world, as long as it's been approved.

Search for the name of your school in the following link; https://osap.gov.on.ca/SchoolSearchWeb/search/school_search.xhtml

How much you can get

The amount of money you can get depends on your:

• education expenses - the amount of money you need for tuition, books, child care, personal living expenses (full-time students), supplies and equipment
• course load - whether you're a full-time or part-time student
• personal financial situation - based on you and your family's income, family size, dependants and other factors

If you use money from your Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP), it won't affect how much OSAP you can get.

Additional funding may be available if you are:

• Indigenous
• a current or former Crown ward
• a person with a disability

Learn more about OSAP for students in special circumstances in the following link; https://www.ontario.ca/page/students-special-circumstances

If you receive social assistance, speak with your caseworker.

Discussion questions

1. Have you ever received a loan from the government?
2. What is it OSAP?
3. What can OSAP help you with?
4. Who can get OSAP?

Comprehension Questions

Directions: Read the following true or false questions and answer each according to what you have understood.

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a financial aid program that can help you pay only for college.

1. true
2. false

If you don’t want to take a loan, you cannot decline it after your application is approved.

1. true
2. false

OSAP also can help you pay for living expenses (full-time students only) and child care (for students with children.

1. true
2. false

OSAP is open to Ontario residents of any age who are only Canadian citizens.

1. true
2. false

You can use OSAP to go to a private or public college or university anywhere in the world, as long as it’s been approved.

1. true
2. false

Focus on Grammar

Directions: Circle the nouns in each of the following sentences:

1. When you apply for OSAP, we automatically consider you for both grants and loans.
2. There are also programs to help you repay your student loan once you’re done school.
3. OSAP is open to Ontario residents of any age who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons.
4. You may not be eligible for OSAP if you have enough financial resources, including other forms of government aid, to cover your expenses allowed by OSAP.
5. You may not be eligible for OSAP if you report income on your OSAP application that’s significantly different from what you reported to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
6. The amount of money you can get depends on your education expenses, course load and personal financial situation.
7. If you use money from yourRegistered Education Savings Plan (RESP), it won’t affect how much OSAP you can get.
8. Additional funding may be available if you are Indigenous, a current or former Crown ward and a person with a disability.

Vocabulary Practice

Fill in the blank

Directions: Use the word bank to identify the word that best completes the sentence.

Loan, Programs, Citizens, Resources, Aid, Income, Canada Revenue Agency, Expenses, Registered Education Savings Plan, Funding

1. Carlos is considering to take a -------- for his university studies next year. (Loan)
2. She is taking a business --------. (Program)
3. We are exemplary--------in our community. (Citizens)
4. Water is an essential natural------ (Resource)
5. He offered his ----- to his friend. (Aid)
6. Now, that he has a better job, he has better---- (Income)
7. We must report our income every year to -------- (Canada Revenue Agency)
8. In our budget the ---- must not exceed the incomes. (Expenses)
9. Marcos used money from his-------- Plan to buy his house. (Registered Education Savings)
10. The government provides many----- to help students in their educations. (Funding)

Matching

Directions: Write the letter of word that matches the definition on the line

1. Loan
2. Programs
3. Citizens
4. Resources
5. Aid
6. Income
7. Canada Revenue Agency
8. Expenses
9. Registered Education Savings Plan
10. Funding

1. __ Earning, pay, Remuneration (Income)
2. __ Money provided, especially by an organization or government, for a particular purpose. (Funding)
3. __ A habitant of particular town or city. (Citizen)
4. __ Canadian federal agency that administers tax law for the government of Canada and most provinces and territories. (Canada Revenue Agency)
5. __ Help. (Aid)
6. __Courses or activities (Program)
7. __ Is and investment account designed primary for saving toward your retirement years. (Registered Education Savings Plan)
8. __ a stock or supply of money, material, staff and other assets. (Resource)
9. __ the cost incurred in or required for something. (Expenses)
10. __ It is expected to be paid back with interest. (Loan)