A full-time student for OSAP purposes is: Enrolled and studying in an eligible full-time program AND Registered in a minimum 60% course load AND/OR Students with a documented and approved disability on their OSAP profile are eligible to take a 40% course load or more and still retain eligibility for full-time OSAP Course load is calculated based on number of credit hours, not number of classes. If you do not meet the minimum course load requirement for Full-Time OSAP, you may qualify for Part-Time OSAP. Students must be registered in a 60% course load (40% if there is a documented permanent disability on the OSAP profile) to be considered full-time for OSAP purposes. Students are automatically considered for both loan and grant funding.Once the application is processed, students receive a Notice of Assessment which outlines eligible funding, who it is coming from (loan/grant) and when payments are expected to be released. Students are encouraged to check the status of their OSAP application frequently by logging in to their online OSAP account. How to Apply to OSAP For specific details, visit the How to Apply page on the OSAP website. Uploading supporting documents for your OSAP application is the fastest and most efficient way to provide documents. Refer to the instructions on the OSAP website for assistance with this process or contact the Financial Aid Office. Be sure to include the student number on the OSAP application. Failure to provide your student number during the application process may result in a delay in the release of your funds. Students who are unable to upload their documents can drop off their documents at the Financial Aid Office. Financial Aid Coaches at Durham College Students should always consult with the Financial Aid Office if you: Are accepting grant-only funding from OSAP Changing course load which may impact OSAP funding Planning funds distribution, especially in a 3-semester program where funding installments do not align with tuition payment timelines Are concerned about the amount of funding you have received Are experiencing financial challenges Are unable to provide parent information to complete your OSAP application Have a restriction on your OSAP account preventing your application from processing Have filed a bankruptcy or initiated a related event (consumer proposal) and are applying for OSAP to assist with your education costs You can schedule a meeting with a Financial Aid Coach at www.myvisit.com FAQs When do I apply for OSAP? Apply as early as possible to allow time for submitting any required documents. Applying late or submitting your documentation close to the start of the term may result in a delay in the release of your funding due to higher volumes of document processing. How do I check the status of my OSAP application? Log in to your OSAP account at www.ontario.ca/OSAP using your OAN and password. From there, you can select your application and check the status. You can also see any messages that the Financial Aid Office has sent you regarding your application through your OSAP Message Centre after you’ve logged in to your account. When will I get my OSAP funds? OSAP is typically released in two instalments. If, for example, if you are in school September to April, your funds will be scheduled for release in September and January. If your application is complete (all supporting documents have been approved) and the details on your student record matches the information on your OSAP application (year of study, program name etc.) – your funds will be released within the first two weeks of the study period, in most cases. How will I get my OSAP funds? OSAP is typically comprised of both federal and provincial loans and/or grants. Your OSAP funds may be deposited in one or two deposits over one to three business days so don’t be alarmed if only a portion arrives. You can double check the total amount you can expect to receive in your bank account by checking the status of your funds via your online OSAP account Who do I contact if I have questions? If you have questions, please contact the Financial Aid & Awards office directly for assistance. How long does it take to process the OSAP application? Document processing time is typically 3-6 weeks from the date of submission. All documents are reviewed in date order they are received to ensure fairness to all applicants. Once documents have been reviewed, the status will indicate whether the document has been approved or denied. Students should be sure to carefully read the acceptable documents under their required documents to ensure they are submitting the correct document for their application to be processed. OSAP supporting documents are accepted up until 40 days before the end of their study period end date on their application. Documents received past the deadline will not be considered. How do I update my bank information? Students who need to update their bank information for their OSAP can do so online through their NSLSC account. What if I need to make a change to my OSAP application? Once an application has been submitted, only the Financial Aid office can make updates to the application details. Please connect with us to find out what is required to make your desired change. I forgot my OAN and password. How do I retrieve it? You can retrieve your OAN and password using the online troubleshooting function available on the OSAP website. If you cannot complete the reset online, you can visit any publicly funded college or university to reset your account in-person. You will need to bring the following with you to the Financial Aid Office to complete the reset: A valid piece of government issued photo ID issued in Canada by the federal, provincial or territorial governments. Examples of acceptable photo ID are: valid driver’s license, passport, permanent residency card or citizenship card AND Government-issued Social Insurance Number (SIN) card or letter My OSAP status is waiting for the school to confirm my enrolment. What do I do? Ensure your program details on your OSAP application match the information on your student record. Your confirmation of enrolment will be processed automatically by the school once studies have begun which will prompt the release of your funds. You must ensure you have selected your timetable before any funds can be released. My documents were denied. What do I do now? Check your OSAP Message Centre. If your documents are denied, we will always send you a message through your OSAP portal to advise the reason for the denial and instructions regarding next steps and how to re-submit, if necessary. Can I get OSAP during my co-op work term? Yes. If you are registered in a co-op work term, you can submit an OSAP application for Full-Time Studies. When you apply, it is crucial that you declare your income you expect to receive during your study period to ensure your OSAP assessment is accurate. Failure to accurately report your earnings may result in grant to loan conversion, loan overpayment or restriction. Why is my OSAP grant less this year? As a result of COVID-19, measures were put in place to temporarily increase grant funding for OSAP recipients in previous academic years. This year, they have been set back to their original value + 40% - this is why you see an overall reduction of grant funding from last year. If you feel your OSAP funds are insufficient to assist you with your costs throughout the school year, please do not hesitate to schedule a meeting with a Financial Aid Coach so we can fine tune your financial plan and consider alternative funding sources. Book a meeting with a Financial Aid Coach today! I’m in a three semester program – will OSAP pay my tuition for all three semesters? No. OSAP is disbursed in two instalments during your academic study period. OSAP will only be redirected to your tuition account to pay the balance owing at the time the funds are processed. This means students in a three-semester study period must plan to make their third semester tuition payment from the funds that arrive in their bank account from OSAP from their first and second instalment. Students may also with to apply for general bursary funds to assist with their costs, provided you are studying full-time and demonstrate financial need (determined through the application process). I can’t pay my deposit by the deadline. What are my options? All students are required to pay their deposit to secure their seat in their program and activate their student record which allows students to select their timetable once web registration becomes available. If you are experiencing circumstances preventing you from paying your tuition deposit, contact our office to explore your options. Act early! We tend to get very busy near deadline time. I paid my deposit and selected my timetable. My OSAP isn’t going to released until after the tuition deadline. Should I be concerned? Students receiving sufficient OSAP funds to cover their fees will automatically have their tuition payments deferred to when their OSAP is released. It is your responsibility to check the status of your OSAP application and ensure your application is complete within 60 days of the start of the term. What if my OSAP is not enough to cover my tuition and book costs? Once you have paid your deposit, picked your timetable and completed your OSAP application – students have 60 days following the start of the term to ensure their tuition accounts are up to date. If you are experiencing challenges meeting your costs, we encourage you to connect with our office for support. We can assist with reviewing your financial plan and determining if you may qualify for a review that may generate additional funds through your OSAP application. We can assist with identifying other financial aid opportunities that may help you supplement your OSAP funds. When can I apply for bursary funding? The bursary application for each intake will launch within the first two weeks of the study period. The application is available via MyDC under the Financial Aid Section using the self-service portal. Visit our Forms section for assistance with navigating to the application. My OSAP application says I need to submit parent information, but I can’t provide it. If you are estranged from your parents, you may qualify to complete a Family Breakdown Review. Please contact our office for assistance navigating this process. You can also find details about what documents are required for this review here . If you do not meet the criteria for family breakdown, parent information is required to complete your application. You can update your OSAP application details to include parent information by completing the Parental Information Update Form . Be sure to upload your documents to your OSAP application for review and processing. I’ve applied for OSAP but receive an error message when I try to pick my timetable. Students are required to pay their deposit to secure their seat in their program which will allow them to select their timetable. If you are receiving an error message and have not yet paid your deposit, please refer to the deposit information here for more assistance. My OSAP is expected to arrive after studies begin but I need my books before then. What can I do? Completed OSAP applications can expect to receive their funds within 1-2 weeks from the start of their studies. As a result of this timeline, we encourage students to have a secondary financial plan to cover their books until their funds have been deposited into your bank account. If your OSAP funds are delayed for a reason beyond your control, please contact our office to explore what options may be available to you. My OSAP is not enough to cover my expenses. It is best to meet with a Financial Aid Coach to review your OSAP application details. We can identify any missing information or errors that may be impacting your OSAP assessment. We can determine your eligibility for any possible reviews on your OSAP application which may result in additional funds. Your Financial Aid Coach can also help explore other financial aid options that may be available to you and assist with resource allocation to help minimize financial stress during your study period. Don’t delay! Schedule your meeting at www.myvisit.com I’m overwhelmed with my course load and want to drop a few of my classes, will this affect my OSAP? It is important to notify the Financial Aid Office of your desire to drop classes before doing so, this way we can review your file and explain any potential impacts this may have on your funding and/or ongoing eligibility. Students are expected to maintain a course load of 60% or more (40% if you are a student with a disability documented on your OSAP profile) in order to maintain eligibility for full-time funding. Dropping to part-time after your full-time funds have been released may result in grant or loan overpayment, academic probation or restriction and/or grant to loan conversion. The Financial Aid office is available to help you finetune your financial plan to best align with your academic journey. I had to withdraw from my program. Will I be able to get OSAP when I return to full-time studies? Students who withdraw from studies after OSAP has been released may face academic probation or restriction, grant to loan conversion and/or grant/loan overpayments. This can impact subsequent eligibility in future academic years. It is best to meet with a Financial Aid representative to determine the impact of your withdrawal on your OSAP eligibility and get the most up to date information about next steps to return to full-time studies and re-applying for OSAP. If you had to withdraw from your studies due to circumstances beyond your control, you may qualify for a review. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.
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