Closing the Gap

An OSAP assessment usually returns both.

• Grant — you keep it. Nothing to repay.
• Loan — repaid once you finish, and it does not accrue interest while you are studying full-time.

Enter them separately above. They are both money you can spend this year, but only one of them follows you afterwards, and that matters when you compare pathways.

Usually yes, if you are applying straight out of high school. OSAP treats most students as dependent, which means household income forms part of the assessment even if your family is not contributing anything.

You are generally assessed as independent if you have been out of high school four or more years, have worked full-time for two years, are married or have children of your own. The definitions are exact, so check them rather than assuming.

If your family situation is complicated — estrangement, a parent who will not share income details, a recent change in circumstances — speak to a counsellor. There are review processes, and they are not obvious from the website.

Aim to apply 6–8 weeks before your program begins. For a September start that means May or June. Assessment takes time, and applying in that window is what gets funding released around the time tuition is actually due rather than weeks into the term.

You do not need an offer in hand. Apply while you are still waiting to hear back — you can change the school and program later without starting over. Waiting for an acceptance before applying is the single most common reason money arrives late.

Have ready:

• Your Social Insurance Number
• Your parents' or guardians' income information, if you are assessed as dependent
• The school and program you are applying to (an estimate is fine; you can change it)
• Your own income and savings

You will need to confirm your enrolment once term starts before funds are released.

The assessment considers your whole cost of attendance — tuition, fees, books, and living expenses — not just the tuition line.

You do not have to work that cost out yourself. The estimator asks which school and program you are applying to and calculates the cost side from that. What it asks you for is your family’s income and the questions that establish whether you are assessed as dependent or independent.

So the figure from the Cost Explorer is not something you feed into the estimator — it is what you compare the result against. OSAP tells you what you are likely to get; this page tells you whether that closes the gap.

This is the piece students most often miss. At nearly every Ontario university, the main entrance scholarship is awarded automatically on your admission average — there is no separate application. You are considered when you are admitted.

Thresholds vary by school and change year to year, but the shape is consistent: awards typically begin somewhere in the 80s and increase in bands as the average rises. A few points can be worth thousands of dollars a year.

Check the entrance-award page of each school you are applying to, because the renewable ones matter most — some continue every year if you maintain a minimum average, others are one-time only. That distinction is easy to miss and worth several thousand dollars over a degree.

These are awarded by organisations rather than schools, and they do need applications and usually references, so start early.

• ScholarshipsCanada — the largest Canadian database, searchable by profile.
• StudentAwards — similar, worth registering with both.
• Loran Award — among the largest in Canada, judged on character and service rather than marks alone. Applications typically close in the autumn of Grade 12.
• Schulich Leader Scholarships — for STEM, nominated through your school, so speak to guidance early.
• TD Scholarships for Community Leadership — recognises sustained community involvement.

Ask your counsellor about school-nominated awards. Some of the largest require a nomination from Georges Vanier rather than a direct application, so they never appear in a public search.

Bursaries are based on need, not marks, and you generally apply after you have been admitted and registered, through the school's own financial aid office. Most institutions open applications in September or October.

They are frequently under-claimed, because students assume they will not qualify or do not know they exist. If money is tight, apply. Many schools also hold emergency bursary funds for students whose circumstances change mid-year.

Applying for OSAP first usually helps, since many bursaries use your OSAP assessment as evidence of need.