OSAP Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility

To qualify for OSAP, you must meet the requirements under the following areas below.  Please note if this is your first application to a Canadian government student loan, many of these criteria will not pertain to you.

Approved Institution
Both Lakehead campuses are approved institutions. You must be enrolled or planning to enrol at an approved institution.
Approved Program of Study
All eligible Lakehead programs have been designated.  Please ensure that you review all potential options when selecting your program (e.g. Engineering, Social Work, Education, etc.)  A program must be at least 12 weeks in length to be considered eligible.  Please note that academic upgrading programs are not eligible to receive OSAP.
Bankruptcies
If you have declared Bankruptcy, or submitted a Consumer Proposal, or have received Consolidation Orders under the Orderly Payment of Debts, you are generally not eligible to receive OSAP.  In some cases you may be able to restore your eligibility.  To see if you are eligible please consult the following reviews under OSAP Appeals:               
  • Bankruptcy Reviews,
  • Reviews for Consumer Proposals, or 
  • Reviews for Consolidation Orders (Orderly Payment of Debts Program)
Citizenship
Students with a student visa are not eligible. You must be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident of Canada (landed immigrant), or a Protected Person.
Course Load
In each term you attend you must be registered in at least a 60% of a full course load, or 40% if you are a student with a permanent disability.  No averaging of course loads is permitted (i.e. you cannot take 80% course load in the fall and 40% course load in the winter).  Your prescribed course load is dependent on the year of your program of study.  To review your program requirements by year please consult the Lakehead University Academic Calendar.
Debt Reduction Repayment Recipient
If this is your first application to a Canadian government student loan, this does not pertain to you.If you have received OSAP or student loans from another province, and are now in receipt of Ontario Debt Reduction in Repayment or Stage 2 of the federal Repayment Assistance Plan, you are not eligible for OSAP.
Fraud
It is critical that you report accurate information on your application.  If you do not, you may be committing fraud.  If you have been convicted of a criminal offence (or it is proven that you have reported inaccurate information on your OSAP application) involving fraud or theft under the criminal code of Canada with respect to any student financial assistance program in Canada you are not eligible for OSAP.
Government Assistance
If you are receiving other government assistance (e.g. Ontario Works, Ontario Disability Support Program, etc.) that covers a portion of your expenses, please check with the local office of your government agency about receiving OSAP benefits.
Income Verification
Please see the Fraud section above for more information.  When reporting your income please ensure that you report all income as requested by the OSAP application.  If you do not, you may be committing fraud and will be restricted from receiving OSAP.
Lifetime Maximums
If this is your first application to a Canadian government student loan, this does not pertain to you.  Full-time students in receipt of OSAP have a lifetime limit of 340 weeks of postsecondary study.  Full-time students enrolled in doctoral programs may receive an additional 60 weeks to a maximum of 400 weeks.   Students with a permanent disability may receive a funding for a maximum of 520 weeks only on the federal portion of the loan.
Overpayment of a Loan, Grant or Bursary
If this is your first application to a Canadian government student loan, this does not pertain to you.If you have received an overpayment in a loan, grant or bursary issued by the federal or provincial government, you must repay the overpayment in full before you will be considered for further funding.
 Residency
If you do not meet the following requirements you may be required to apply from your specific province.  If you are new to Ontario and have not resided in any Canadian province for more than 12 consecutive months please review the provincial residency appeal.  To be eligible for OSAP you must be an Ontario resident and meet the following criteria:
  • You have always resided in Ontario, or
  • Ontario is the last province you resided in for 12 consecutive months without being a full-time post-secondary student 
 Satisfactory Academic Progress
If this is your first application to a Canadian government student loan, this does not pertain to you. You must demonstrate academic progress within your program.  Academic progress is monitored by program year and is defined as the successful completion of at least 60% course load with a 60% average of a full course load of your program year, when in receipt of OSAP funding.  Students with a permanent disability must successfully complete at minimum a 40% of a full course load for the given program year with a 60% average.    
Student Loan Default
If this is your first application to a Canadian government student loan, this does not pertain to you.  To be eligible for OSAP your previous loans must be in good standing (i.e. you must not have defaulted on a student loan).  For more information please visit: Student Restriction IssuesQualified students have the option to submit three distinct applications using the online portal. To determine the appropriate program please review the following:
  1. OSAP Part-time programs:  This application is available to students taking 20% - 59% of a full course load at an approved post-secondary institution.
  2. OSAP Full-time programs: This application is available to students taking 60% or more of a full course load or 40% if you have a permanent disability, at an approved post-secondary institution.
  3. 30% off Ontario Tuition: This application is available to students taking 60% or more of a full course load or 40% if you have a permanent disability, at an approved post-secondary institution, and DID NOT complete the OSAP full-time program application.
Each program provides access to different sources of funding that have different criteria. You may receive a request to submit signature pages, and supporting documentation.  The quickest way to have your information processed is to electronically upload your documents to your secure OSAP account. Student Central at Lakehead will also process any changes to your application, and requests for reviews, we will monitor your continued eligibility, and approve the release of funding to your student account. 

 

Remaining Eligible for OSAP

Once you receive OSAP, you must maintain a 60% course load (40% for students with a registered disability) in each term, and pass your year with at least a 60% average, in order to remain eligible for this assistance. 

Please carefully review to see if any of the following applies to your particular situation. 

Reporting Changes

If your information changes during your school year, it is important for you to report these changes directly with OSAP.   This ensures your OSAP is updated correctly.  To report changes, you can write a brief message and upload it directly to your OSAP account.  One of our staff will review your request and respond to you if further documentation is required.