The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)

OSAP is a loan program sponsored by the federal and provincial governments and an application is required, it is intended as a supplement toward the costs of your education while attending college.

To be eligible, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. Students from outside of Ontario must apply to their home province or country for financial aid.

Factors that are considered in the OSAP assessment include: student contribution from summer employment, anticipated study period income, student assets, parental income, family size, number of children attending post-secondary school and living at home or away from home.

To apply online visit http://osap.gov.on.ca – no fee to apply online

Paper OSAP applications should be available in Ontario high schools in early May.

For more information visit the OSAP website or contact the Financial Aid Officer:

Diploma and Certificate Programs
Heather Buck 613-258-8336 ext 61777 or hebuck@uoguelph.ca
All full time Kemptville Campus diploma and certificate programs applied via www.ontariocolleges.ca are OSAP eligible


Degree Programs
www.uoguelph.ca/studfin/
Student Financial Services
3rd Floor University Centre, 519-824-4120 ext.58715
The Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management (BBRM) degree program is OSAP eligible

Necessary Steps in the OSAP Process:

Apply

• Print off your “Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA)
  • Take your MSFAA to a Canada Post Outlet
  • Submit All Required OSAP Documents to the Financial Aid Office of Kemptville Campus.
  • School Confirms Your Enrolment.
  • Confirm Your Income.
    
  
  To Apply for OSAP
  
  

  To apply for federal and provincial financial aid visit the OSAP website at http://osap.go v.on.ca.  (Be sure to select “Kemptville Campus” (EVAJ) institution code rather than “University of Guelph”.)

  We recommend you apply for financial aid on-line approximately 6-8 weeks prior to attending college.  - Students dependent on this program to pay their tuition and fees must apply for OSAP in early July to allow the funds to arrive at the University/Kemptville Campus  for September disbursement.  You can still apply up until 90 days prior to end of year study which will be January 26, 2011 but your funding will not be calculated for 100% of your study period.
  
  Students will use their OSAP Access Number (OAN) along with their password to log into the OSAP website. This is an important change from the current log in procedures where website users can choose to use either their Social Insurance Number (SIN) or OAN along with their password when logging into the site.
  
  To assist in the transition of using the OAN as part of the sign-in process, students who sign in using a SIN/password combination are now presented with new messaging on the OAN presentation page telling them to write down their OAN for future website access. A news posting has also been placed on the OSAP general website encouraging students to log into the website in order to retrieve their OAN before the log-in procedures change.
  
  The OSAP Access Number (OAN) is a 9-digit number that is automatically generated when a new user registers on the OSAP website. The OAN assigned is unique to the user and does not change regarding of the type of funding that they may apply for. To facilitate the new log-in procedures, an OAN has also been created for each student who has submitted a paper application for OSAP funding (i.e., OSAP for Full-Time Students, OGS, Explore), but has never visited or registered on the OSAP website.
  
  The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities has enhanced the OSAP website to include the OSAP Access Window. This is a planning tool to assist students in preparing for a post-secondary education. This site provides the approximate costs of your post secondary education, estimate of financial assistance available to help you pay for university, a repayment calculator for estimating monthly loan payments after graduation, and other information to assist you to make decisions about funding your postsecondary education.
  

  Refer questions concerning OSAP to:
  Heather Buck – Registrar/Financial Aid Officer, Kemptville Campus
  Administration Building – Room 108
  (ph) 613-258-8336 ext 61777  (fx) 613-258-8384
  hebuck@uoguelph.ca

  Necessary Steps in the OSAP Process:

  The process of lining up at your school’s financial aid office to get your OSAP loan document before each term is ending. Canada and Ontario are implementing a lifetime loan agreement that will cover you for all the time you are in full-time postsecondary studies. This lifetime loan agreement is called the “Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA)”.
  
  You’ll be able to print your personalized MSFAA anytime after you submit your OSAP online application and then you submit it along with identification to a designated Canada Post outlet in your area. This only needs to be done ONCE, and will be in place throughout your time as a full-time postsecondary student.
  
  The other change you will notice is that once your OSAP application and MSFAA are submitted, funding will be deposited directly into your bank account after your school confirms your enrolment. For your second term funding, we only ask that you update your estimated income.
  Follow these 4 steps to get your OSAP funding. For more information visit “Getting OSAP” section on the OSAP website.

  • Step 1: Submit Your Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA)
    Print, complete, and sign your MSFAA
    After you submit your online OSAP Application for Full-Time Students, print your MSFAA. You can also ask the ministry to mail it to you, but we recommend that you print it yourself. If you applied for OSAP using a paper application, your MSFAA will be mailed to you. Read the terms and conditions, then complete and sign your MSFAA.
    
    Take your MSFAA to a Canada Post Outlet- use this link: http://www.canlearn.ca/eng/onlinetools/canadapost/postal_outlet.shtml
    Take page 1 of your MSFAA to a designated Canada Post Outlet right away (keep the other pages as reference as they outline the terms and conditions). Please ensure that it prints legibly. You don’t have to wait for classes to begin. You may also take your MSFAA to a NSLSC kiosk, but they are only available at certain times of year. You must present the following two pieces of documentation to prove your identity:
  1. Proof of your Social Insurance Number (SIN):
     
     • Your Social Insurance card or
     
     • An official Government of Canada document that contains your Social Insurance Number (e.g., a Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment, a Canada Pension Plan Statement of Contributions, or a Confirmation of Social Insurance Number from Service Canada).
     
     
  2. One piece of valid photo ID issued in Canada by the federal, provincial or territorial government. Examples of acceptable ID: Canadian passport, permanent resident or citizenship card, Ontario photo card, valid driver's licence or provincial health card with photo. Student ID cards are not acceptable forms of photo ID.
     
     Note for students unable to go to a Canada Post outlet:
     If you can’t go to a designated Canada Post outlet (or NSLSC kiosk) because you’re not in Canada, in a remote area, or don’t have a designated Canada Post outlet nearby, you can mail page 1 of your MSFAA and photocopies of two pieces of documentation to prove your identity (see list of acceptable documentation above) to: National Student Loans Service Centre, PO Box 4030, Mississauga, ON L5A 4M4.
     
     Step 2: Submit All Required OSAP Documents
     All required documents listed at the end of your online OSAP application must be submitted to your financial aid office before any funding can be disbursed to you. For your personalized list of required documents, log on to your OSAP account on the OSAP website and go to the “View App Details” section.
     
     Step 3: School Confirms Your Enrolment
     Your school must confirm your enrolment before your funding can be disbursed to you. This confirmation will happen for each disbursement. For most students, this will happen at the start of their studies (e.g., September) and then again halfway through their study period (e.g., January). For information about your disbursements and funding, log on to your OSAP account on the OSAP website and go to the “Check Status” section.
     
     Step 4: Confirm Your Income
     You must confirm your income before the release of your second disbursement, which is generally halfway through your study period (e.g., January). Instructions will be sent to you about a month before your second disbursement.
     
     Important Points
  • You’ll be provided with only one MSFAA for all your 2012-2013 OSAP applications. You’ll be presented with your MSFAA at the end of each of your online applications, but you only need to print one copy and submit it once, as described above.
    
    
  • Once your MSFAA is submitted, it’s good for the duration of your full-times studies. You won’t have to submit it again if you apply for OSAP next year.
    Ministry of Training,

  Supporting Documents

  During the application process, signature papers from the student and/or parents or spouse are required to be sent to the Financial Aid Office. Remember to sign in all locations and in BLACK ink.
  When checking your status after an application is submitted, there is a checklist of outstanding items, be sure to adhere to these items and forward them to the Financial Aid office. Here is an example:

  Date	Documentation required	Implications
  June 5, 2010	Your completed declaration and signature page.	Your funding cannot be released until the supporting documentation is received and approved.

  Time Frame:
  
  As long as a student applies for OSAP within 45 days of the start of the study period OSAP funding is assessed from the first day of the academic year. Even after the first 45 days in the study period, a student can still apply for OSAP funding but with each week into the term, the student receives less and less OSAP funding.
  The final date to submit an OSAP application for a study period that begins in the Fall term is late January. You must submit 90 days before the end of your study period to be considered.

  Your OSAP loan is distributed at two different periods. Generally you will receive a portion of your current entitlement at the beginning of your study period in September (60%) and the remainder (40%) halfway through your study period in January.
  
  Important: Confirm Your Income
  You must confirm your income before the release of your second disbursement, which is generally halfway through your study period (e.g., January). Instructions will be sent to you about a month before your second disbursement.
  
  Where Does Your Money Go?
  
  After your enrolment has been confirmed by the school, the NSLSC will deposit the Canada and/or Ontario portion(s) of the loan, as well as any Canada Access Grant to which you are entitled, into your bank account. If you, indicated on your MSFAA that you agreed for the institution to remit fees, the outstanding fees will be remitted to Kemptville Campus and the remainder if applicable to your bank account. Generally the funds will be deposited in your bank account within 1 week of the date the loan/grant certificate is received at the NSLSC, or within one week of the disbursement date on your loan/grant certificate, whichever is later.

   

  Note:  
  Please refer to the Important Dates and Payment Information for Fall 2012 for Fee deadlines.    Failure to pay your fees by the published deadlines will result in deregistration.   If your OSAP loan does not cover all your fees, you are expected to pay the difference by the deadline.   If you have any concerns regarding payment of fees, call Bre Wick at 613-258-8336 Ext. 61338.

  If you have any questions about OSAP call Mrs. Heather Buck at 613-258-8336 Ext. 61777

  
  

  Scholarships, Awards & Bursaries

  At the Kemptville Campus, we understand that post-secondary education, while a wonderful experience, is a financial commitment. To help ease the financial burden, Kemptville Campus has scholarships and awards in excess of $100,000. Scholarships and awards are presented to students who exemplify academic proficiency, leadership ability or student citizenship. In some cases, eligibility may be based upon a combination of academic achievement and demonstrated financial need. Bursary eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need.

  A complete listing of all awards and the application forms are available here.

  For more information contact our Awards Chair:
  
  Spring Williams
  Telephone: 613-258-8336 ext. 61394
  E-mail: swilli04@uoguelph.ca