Full-Time OSAP
Full-Time OSAP
Need help paying for university? Follow our step-by-step guide for applying to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) as a full-time student.
The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a government financial aid program made up of grants and loans that can help you pay for college or university.
There are some basic eligibility requirements for OSAP and some that are related to your degree or program. In general, you can receive OSAP if you’re a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a protected person (external link) .
If you're taking 3 or more courses per term (2 or more courses per term if you have a permanent, persistent or prolonged disability), you can apply for full-time OSAP. If you're taking less than that, please apply for part-time OSAP.
This can happen, for example, if you took 3 or more courses in the first semester but only 2 in the second. You would need to submit 2 applications: one for full-time OSAP in the fall and one for part-time OSAP in the winter. If you’re not sure about something, our OSAP advisors can help!
If you're a graduate student in a full-time program, regardless of your course load, you must apply for full-time OSAP. However, if you're a graduate student with a permanent, persistent or prolonged disability, you can apply for full-time OSAP even if your program is part-time. Please note that your disability must be confirmed on your OSAP application by completing an approved Disability Verification Form.
Complete Your Application Online
Although the OSAP process is the same for most students, we do have some additional information for specific student populations like Indigenous students, students with disabilities, students planning an exchange and more. Make sure to check if any of this additional information applies to you before you start your application.
Waiting to hear back about your funding to be processed can be stressful — don’t leave it until the last minute! We recommend submitting your OSAP application and all required documents by late June to ensure your OSAP is processed and ready to go for September. You can still apply after this date, however, your funding may be delayed.
For final application and document submission deadlines, please refer to the Important Dates and Deadlines page.
If this is your first time registering for OSAP, you'll receive an OSAP Access Number (OAN). Keep this number in a safe place — you'll need it to access your account.
Here’s a checklist of things you’ll need to complete your application:
- Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) and your parents’ or spouse’s SIN (if either is applicable)
- Information about your school and program
- Your tax information and your parents’ or spouse’s tax information (if either is applicable)
Reminder:
If you don’t want the loan portion of your OSAP funding, you can request the “no loan option” to receive grant-only funding. We encourage you to request this at the time of application on your OSAP funding summary page. If you change your mind and wish to opt back into the loan portion of your funding, you can opt back into receiving loans directly on your funding summary page.
Upload Required Documents Directly to Your OSAP Portal
At the end of your application, you'll be asked to scan and upload your documents. This may include income information or transcripts from other post-secondary institutions. Your required documents are listed on your OSAP application.
Document processing usually takes about 3 to 6 weeks from your date of submission for review, with longer processing times at the start of term. Check in on your documents on the OSAP Processing Dates page. When your documents have been processed, you'll receive a status update via your OSAP Message Centre.
Check your OSAP Message Centre regularly — if we need anything else from you, we’ll be in touch through there.
Receive Your Assessment
Within a few days of applying, you'll receive your funding estimate through your OSAP Message Centre.
Please note that this estimate is based on unverified information and may change once your application is fully processed.
For more information on next steps, visit the OSAP website linked below.
Student Financial Assistance will begin confirming enrolment starting the last week of August for the fall term and the first week back after the mid-year break for the winter term. When you've been confirmed and your funding has been released, you’ll receive an update through your OSAP Message Centre.
It’s natural to feel a bit anxious as you wait, but please remember that the ServiceHub and Student Financial Assistance are unable to expedite confirmations of enrolment.
Here are some things that could delay your OSAP confirmation:
- Too early to confirm: Confirmation of enrolment can be completed as early as 15 days prior to the study period start date
- Your enrolment on MyServiceHub doesn't match the enrolment or program information you indicated on your OSAP application
- Your OSAP application may be incomplete (e.g. missing required documents or documents are still under review by our office). Check your OSAP Required Documents page and OSAP Message Centre for status updates
- Too late to confirm: Confirmation of enrolment can't be completed with less than 5 days remaining in the study period
If 10 business days have passed since your enrolment was confirmed and your funding has not been deposited, please contact the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) (external link) at 1-888-815-4514.
OSAP funding is always released in 2 installments: fall and winter.
It's released by the NSLSC, the lender of student loans. OSAP funding typically deposits to TMU and/or your authorized bank account linked with the NSLSC within 5 to 10 business days after confirmation. We encourage you to track your funding online.
For students starting in the winter term, you can expect to receive your OSAP near the first week of classes.
A note for graduate students: if you're in a graduate program that ends in the summer, you'll receive your final OSAP installment in January. This covers both the winter and spring/summer terms. Be sure to budget accordingly.
You may receive communications in your TMU email inbox and your OSAP Message Centre about your file throughout the year.
Funding will first be directed to your TMU student account (MyServiceHub) to be applied towards outstanding tuition. The remaining funding (if any) will be directed to your authorized bank account linked with the NSLSC. You can check your OSAP funding summary page for a breakdown of your OSAP assessment and funding disbursements.
If OSAP doesn’t cover all of your fees, you’re responsible for paying the outstanding balance. To avoid interest, we recommend paying before the second month of the semester (when a monthly interest of 1.25% will begin). This means paying before September for the fall term, January for the winter term and May for the spring/summer term.
Don't forget to apply for scholarships and bursaries which can help with costs that OSAP doesn't cover.
We check your academic progress at the end of every term. In order to receive OSAP, you're expected to pass 3 courses per term (or 2 courses if you're a student with a permanent, persistent or prolonged disability). Don’t worry, we’re not checking your academic average — OSAP academic progress is assessed on a pass/fail basis. If you don’t pass 3 courses per term, you may be placed on OSAP academic probation.
Please note that OSAP academic progress/probation isn't the same as TMU's probationary academic standing.
Important: You can apply for OSAP for the duration of the prescribed length of your program plus one additional year (e.g. if you're in a 4-year program, you can receive OSAP for up to 5 years). If you take longer than the prescribed time to complete your program, you won't be eligible for further OSAP funding for your program and will be required to self-fund. Students with a confirmed permanent, persistent or prolonged disability are exempt from this policy.
If you’re returning to full-time studies within 6 months of the end of your study period, you have 2 options to stay out of repayment and maintain interest-free status:
- Apply for full-time OSAP again: When we confirm your enrolment, the NSLSC is notified that you're still in full-time studies and places your loans back into interest-free status.
- Apply for interest-free status: If you don’t want to apply for full-time OSAP again, and will be continuing full-time studies, you can submit a Continuation of Interest-Free Status (CIFS) application online through your OSAP portal (external link) . If approved, this will keep your loans interest-free and defer repayment. Be sure to apply within the deadline by checking our Important Dates and Deadlines page.
Not returning to your studies yet? Visit the NSLSC website to learn more about your repayment options (external link) .
Maximums and Period of Study Plus One
You can't receive OSAP funding indefinitely. There are certain lifetime limits to accessing OSAP, depending on a few factors. The chart below outlines the lifetime OSAP limits.
Students with a Permanent Disability | Students in Doctoral Programs | All Other Students |
|---|---|---|
520 weeks | 400 weeks | 340 weeks |
Notes:
- If you withdraw before the end of your period of studies, the actual number of weeks of study completed counts toward the lifetime limit.
- For more information about your OSAP lifetime limit, please contact the NSLSC (external link) .
The Periods of Study Plus One policy states that you may apply for full-time OSAP for the number of periods of study required for the completion of your program, plus one additional study period.
If you've reached the maximum number of OSAP-funded study periods permitted for your program, you're no longer eligible to receive full-time OSAP for that program.
This may affect you if you complete less than a 100% course load each academic year or if you need to repeat courses after an unsuccessful attempt, as you may reach the funding limit before completing your program requirements.
Please note:
- One study period is equivalent to one academic year
- Academic years where you didn't receive full-time OSAP funding from Ontario or another province/territory in Canada don't count toward the maximum
- If you're registered with a permanent, persistent or prolonged disability, you're exempt from this policy
- This policy doesn't apply to the part-time OSAP program
Examples of Program Lengths Plus One
Student's Program | Standard Length of Program Based on 100% Course Load | One Additional Year Equivalent | Maximum Assistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | One-year program | One academic year | 2 academic years of study |
| Undergraduate Degree (4 Years) | 4-year program offered over 4 academic years | One academic year | 5 academic years |
| Undergraduate Degree with OSAP-Eligible Co-Op | 5-year program offered over 5 academic years | One academic year | 6 academic years |
| Graduate Degree (One-Year Program) | One-year program offered over one academic year | One academic year | 2 academic years |
| Graduate Degree (2-Year Program) | 2-year program offered over 2 academic years | One academic year | 3 academic years |
| Graduate Degree (3-Year Program) | 3-year program offered over 3 academic years | One academic year | 4 academic years |
| PhD | 6-year program offered over 6 academic years | One academic year | 7 academic years |
If your OSAP file indicates that you have a permanent, persistent or prolonged disability, you’re exempt from the Periods of Study Plus One policy.
Many students experience mental health or medical challenges that can affect their studies. If you can relate to this and haven't identified as a student with a disability yet, we encourage you to submit a Disability Verification Form.
Reaching the End of Your Funding
Once you've reached the study period maximum for your program of study, you're no longer eligible for more full-time OSAP for that specific program.
This means that taking less than 5 courses (100% course load) each term, or having failed and/or having repeated courses, may result in you becoming ineligible for further full-time OSAP funding before completing your program.
The Periods of Study Plus One policy is enforced by the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security (external link) , who governs the OSAP program. You can't appeal this policy once you reach the maximum eligibility for the program you're in.
Options After Reaching the Periods of Study Plus One Maximum
If, for whatever reason, you reach your OSAP limit before you finish your program, you may still have some options.
While you aren't eligible for more full-time OSAP funding for your current program, if you're continuing your full-time studies, you can still maintain interest-free status on your student financial aid. To do so, please log in to your OSAP portal and complete the Continuation of Interest-Free Status (CIFS) application. Be mindful of submitting your application within the CIFS deadline dates.
If you wish to continue studying full-time, you may need to consider a combination of alternative methods to finance your education like self-funding and reducing your course load to apply for part-time OSAP.
Full-time graduate students, please note that you don't have the option of applying for part-time OSAP to be considered for future OSAP funding.
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