OSAP
What is OSAP?
The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a government-funded financial aid program that can help you pay for college.
Over 65 per cent of registered full-time students at Humber receive OSAP funding to help manage the cost of their education. Don't miss your chance to get the support you may be eligible for.
OSAP can help with tuition, books, supplies, ancillary fees (Tool tip: Fees charged to support services and activities distinct from academic programming or general overhead for the institution.) , living expenses and childcare. The amount of funding students are eligible for depends on these education costs, living costs, expected personal financial contribution and family support/parental income.
You are automatically considered for both grants (money that does not need to be paid back) and loans (money you need to repay after your studies). If you only want to accept the grant money and do not want to take the loan, you can request to decline the loan portion before your funding is paid out.
For an estimate of the grant and/or loan amount you could be eligible for, use the Aid Estimator Tool on the OSAP website.
Who is Eligible for OSAP?
To be eligible for OSAP, you (or your parents/spouse/sponsor) must have been a resident of Ontario for at least 12 months before the application’s study period and not have been enrolled in full-time post-secondary studies during this 12-month period.
You must also:
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or a protected person
- Be applying for an approved post-secondary program
- Be enrolled in an eligible course load:
- Full-time OSAP application - minimum of 60 per cent of a full semester course load (or minimum 40 per cent of a 100 per cent course load for students with a documented permanent disability)*
- Part-time OSAP application – between 20 and 59 per cent of a full semester course load
*Students with a documented disability may be eligible for full-time OSAP funding with enrolment in a 40 per cent or more course load. To qualify, students must self-identify as having a disability when applying for OSAP and have their health care professional complete the OSAP Disability Verification Form. The completed form should then be submitted to Humber’s Financial Aid office.
Visit the Accessible Learning Services website for more information and disability documentation requirements.
When to Apply for OSAP?
OSAP applications become available in May ahead of each academic year.
- You must ensure that your applications are completed in full at least one month prior to your study period start date to avoid any delay in funding.
- Applications and required documents will not be accepted past the deadline for the study period:
- Full-time students – no later than 60 days before the end of the study period
- Part-time students – no later than 40 days before the end of the study period (20 weeks or less)
How to Apply for OSAP?
- Apply for OSAP online at www.ontario.ca/osap. Register for an OSAP account and start your application.
Note: you will need your Social Insurance Number (SIN) to register your OSAP account. Once registered, you must keep track of your OSAP Access Number and password to log in. - After submitting your OSAP application, you will have to submit all required supporting documentation. The supporting documentation you are required to submit will be listed and explained on your OSAP application. You can submit documents online through your OSAP account, or on campus through the Financial Aid Office drop box located outside the Office of the Registrar.
- Verify all your outstanding requirements have been satisfied. You can check your application and funding status by logging in to your OSAP account.
What If I am Not Eligible for OSAP?
If you find you are not eligible for OSAP funding, you can still consider other options to help with your tuition and expenses.
Make sure to explore as many options as possible and look at your own finances to know what is available to you. Visit a financial institution like a bank to find out more about a student line of credit or a personal loan.
You can also apply for other scholarships and external awards. Humber gives $7.6 million in scholarships, awards and bursaries every year. Make sure to apply for available opportunities and part of that funding could be yours.
Find out more about the Work-Study program and complete the Work-Study application online to see if you qualify to apply for an available position on campus.
There are other ways to save and find support on campus as well. Apply for as many opportunities as you can – all you will spend is a bit of your time to possibly gain the financial boost you need!
Paying Your Tuition with OSAP
All students are required to pay a tuition deposit, then pay or arrange to pay (Tool Tip: Anticipated funding (money) that is expected to pay the full balance of tuition fees such as OSAP, a Humber payment plan, scholarship/bursary, RESP or third-party sponsorship.) the balance of their tuition fees before registering for classes.
OSAP funding is one way to arrange to pay the balance of tuition fees in order to register for classes each term.
Tuition Deposit
Your OSAP funding cannot be used to pay the mandatory, non-refundable tuition deposit each term. You will be responsible for paying the $250 tuition deposit each term by the tuition deposit deadline.
As a reminder, 100 per cent of the tuition deposit is applied directly to your tuition fees.
Once you have paid your tuition deposit, you can find the remaining tuition balance on MyHumber > Student > Student Account & Fees > Payment and Account Centre.
You will be redirected to the PayMyTuition portal to make your payment.
Approved OSAP funding can only be applied as arranged payment toward the balance of the term's tuition fees if you have first paid your tuition deposit using your own funds.
Tuition Fees
When your OSAP application and funding have been approved by the Ministry, the anticipated OSAP funding is noted on your Humber student account as expected money toward the balance of your tuition fees. To view what has been paid or is arranged to be paid (Tool Tip: Anticipated funding (money) that is expected to pay the full balance of tuition fees such as OSAP, a Humber payment plan, scholarship/bursary, RESP or third-party sponsorship.) for the term and what may still be owing, you can use the Net Cost tool on MyHumber > Student > Student Account & Fees > Net Cost.
Fully Funded: If you have paid your tuition deposit and your anticipated funding covers the full balance of tuition fees you will be permitted to register for classes.
Partially Funded: If your funding is not sufficient to cover the full balance of tuition fees, you will need to pay the remaining balance before registering for classes. OSAP students with partial funding are eligible to apply for a payment plan to pay the remaining balance in instalments. Visit Payment Options for more information.
Resources
Registration
When you have paid your tuition deposit and paid or arranged to pay (Tool Tip: Anticipated funding (money) that is expected to pay the full balance of tuition fees such as OSAP, a Humber payment plan, scholarship/bursary, RESP or third-party sponsorship.) the full balance of your tuition fees, you will be able to register when registration opens each term.
You will need to ensure you register for the minimum number of credits to meet the required course load for your OSAP funding:
- Full-time OSAP application – minimum of 60 per cent of a full semester course load (or minimum 40 per cent of a 100 per cent course load for students with a documented permanent disability).
- Part-time OSAP application – between 20 and 59 per cent of a full semester course load.
FAQ
You can visit the Registration Road Map for all the information you need to register for your classes.
Confirmation of Enrolment for OSAP Purposes
Once you have registered for your classes, Humber will confirm whether you are enrolled in an eligible course load for the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) to release funding. As a reminder, the approved funding for your application will be disbursed in instalments by term (e.g. Fall and Winter).
When Humber has confirmed your enrolment, the National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC) will electronically deposit that term's OSAP funds directly to your Humber student account to pay the balance of tuition fees. If there is any OSAP remaining beyond the cost of your tuition, the NSLSC will deposit the remaining funds directly into your bank account within the first two weeks of your study period (term).
Confirmation of Enrolment* for full-time students will begin no earlier than 15 days prior to the study period start date of each term. If your application is not submitted a minimum of one month prior to classes starting, funding could be delayed.
*Note: Confirmation of Enrolment for OSAP purposes differs from Confirmation of Enrolment for RESP or other purposes.
Maintaining Your OSAP
In order to keep your OSAP information up to date, you are responsible for:
- Reporting any changes to your study period income estimate to Financial Aid through a written communication.
- Notifying Financial Aid of any changes to your student status (e.g. changes to course load, withdrawing, etc.).
- Maintaining satisfactory Academic Progress for OSAP purposes.
Full-time Academic Progress Requirement
If you have received OSAP funding, you must maintain satisfactory academic progress throughout the full-time study period:
- Remain enrolled in a minimum 60 per cent of a 100 per cent course load during the OSAP-funded study period (or minimum 40 per cent of a 100 per cent course load for students with a documented permanent disability).
- Pass a minimum 60 per cent of a 100 per cent course load during the OSAP-funded study period (or minimum 40 per cent course load for students with a documented permanent disability).
- Successfully progress through your program without interruption (e.g. withdrawing from your program in the middle of a funded term).
Full-time Academic Probation for OSAP
The first time you do not meet satisfactory academic progress for OSAP purposes, you will be placed on Academic Probation for a minimum 12 months from the date of your unsatisfactory Academic Progress status.
You may be on Academic Probation for one or more of the reasons below:
- Your course enrolment dropped below the required minimum 60 per cent of a 100 per cent course load during your OSAP-funded study period (or 40 per cent for students with a documented permanent disability) or you completely withdraw from your courses during your OSAP-funded study period
- You did not pass a minimum 60 per cent of a 100 per cent course load during your OSAP-funded study period (or 40 per cent for students with a documented permanent disability)
- You have changed your program of study too many times without earning a credential
Note: the criteria for OSAP Academic Progress may differ from the Academic Progress for your program at Humber. You can be in good standing for your program at Humber and not be meeting the requirements for OSAP funding.
Acknowledgement of Academic Probation
You can still receive OSAP funding while there is an Academic Probation on your OSAP account. When applying for a new study period, you will need to complete the OSAP Acknowledgement of Academic Probation Form. You will have access to the OSAP Acknowledgement of Academic Probation form on your OSAP application once you have submitted an OSAP application.
You can log into your OSAP account to upload the form along with your most recent transcript as a supporting document if required.
If you experienced medical or extenuating circumstances that affected your academic progress, you can submit a letter explaining the circumstances along with supporting documentation to potentially remove the Academic Probation from your OSAP account.
Full-time Academic Restriction
If there is a second instance of unsatisfactory academic progress, you may be restricted from receiving OSAP funding for a minimum of 12 months.
During a restriction period, you are still responsible for maintaining your previous loans with the National Student Loan Student Centre.
If you are enrolled in full-time studies while restricted from OSAP funding, you can submit a Continuation of Interest-free Status (CIFS) application at the start of your study period. This will stop interest charges and prevent prior OSAP loans from going into repayment for the duration of your full-time study period while on restriction. If you are not studying full-time, you must continue to repay your loans as scheduled or apply for Repayment Assistance through your NSLSC account.
After your restriction period, you may be eligible for funding for your next study period. For more information, please contact a Financial Aid Advisor at finaid@humber.ca.
Managing Your OSAP Funding
You must apply online and register for a National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) account to receive and manage your student loan.
Once you have received funding, you are responsible for maintaining your loan including checking your OSAP and NSLSC account on a regular basis for any important updates.
Receiving Funds
You will receive your funding in one instalment per semester. Funding will be sent (remitted) to the College to be applied towards your tuition balance. Any remaining amount will be deposited in your bank account.
To view instalment information, you can log in to your OSAP account and “Check Status”. Your OSAP account will display estimated dates of funding release. To track your funding, you can log in to your NSLSC account.
Repaying Loans
You will need to start repaying your OSAP loan six months after you have stopped full-time studies.
National Student Loans Service Centre
The National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) manages your student loan. You must register for an NSLSC account to receive and manage your OSAP funding.
It is very important that you remain in contact with the NSLSC as your lender. It is your responsibility to contact the NSLSC with any updates regarding your contact information, to consolidate your loan and to ensure you are aware of what you must do to keep your record in good standing with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) and the NSLSC.
Reminder: it is essential that you keep your OSAP file up to date to maintain or build good credit.
Services available through your NSLSC account include:
FAQ
Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA)
The federal and provincial governments have implemented a lifetime loan agreement called the Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA). This agreement is designed to cover a student for the duration of their time enrolled in full-time post-secondary studies.
Every student will be required to complete the MSFAA with their first OSAP application.
The National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) will send a message to your OSAP account when it is time for you to register for your NSLSC account and complete your MSFAA online.
Note: students who completed a paper MSFAA in the past do not need to complete a new one online.
Resources
OSAP Repayment
You will need to start repaying your OSAP loan six months after you have stopped full-time studies. Your loans will begin to collect interest at the end of your study period. The NSLSC will send you a Consolidation Package including your payment schedule, interest rates and more.
If you begin another study period within six months, interest will be waived and loan repayment will not begin until you stop full-time studies if you submit an OSAP application for that study period or apply for Continuation of Interest-Free Status (CIFS) for the study period.
You will need to sign in to your NSLSC account to maintain your contact information, check your loan status and balance, or apply for any repayment assistance or changes to your repayment agreement.
Repayment Assistance
The NSLSC offers online videos and seminars to give you more information about:
- Debt Management
- Debt Reduction
- Repayment Options
- Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)
- Interest Free Periods
NSLSC Youtube Channel
If you need more help with repaying your loans, get more information about the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) and other options from the NSLSC.
Continuation of Interest-Free Status (CIFS)
If you are applying for OSAP, the NSLSC will know you are still in school and maintain your loan’s interest-free status.
If you are going to be starting a new study period but do not want to apply for OSAP funding (or are ineligible for funding due to restrictions), you might be able to suspend interest accrual and payment for previous OSAP loans during your new study period by applying for interest-free status.
Full-time students can submit a Continuation of Interest-Free Status (CIFS) application online through their OSAP portal or print the form from the OSAP website and submit the completed application to the Financial Aid Office.
Part-time students must print and complete a paper Schedule 2 application and submit it to the Financial Aid Office.
Online and paper applications will be processed by the Financial Aid Office in the order in which they are received.
Glossary/Common Terms
For a comprehensive list of OSAP terms and their definitions, you can visit the Ontario Website.
FAQ
Questions about your OSAP application?
Make sure to log in to osap.ca to check the status of your application and review any messages that have been sent to your account.
If you cannot access your account on the OSAP website because you forgot your OAN and/or password, you will need to visit the Financial Aid Office at any college or university in person so a Financial Aid representative can provide you with your OAN and/or reset your password. Please note that in-person services with Humber’s Financial Aid Office are currently being offered by appointment only from Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students are required to call the Financial Aid Office at 416.675.3111 to request an appointment.
You MUST bring your valid Canadian government-issued photo ID AND SIN card to obtain your OAN and/or reset your password. A Government of Canada document that contains your complete SIN or a letter from Service Canada that contains your complete SIN can be provided instead of a SIN card.
You can also log in to your National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC) account for the most current information about your loan remittance and repayment.