Living and Learning Grant

A child living under the support of the Ontario Children’s Aid Society might need financial help as an adult to pursue post-secondary education. Acknowledging the need for monetary assistance of post-secondary students who were in extended society care, the province of Ontario offers the Living and Learning Grant. Before we delve deep into this special grant program, let’s understand the meaning of extended society care.  

What is extended society care?

An extended society care is a court order that directs the Ontario Children’s Aid Society to look after the welfare of a child if their parents or guardians can’t provide a safe and nourishing environment for the development of the child.

The Living and Learning Grant provides student aid in addition to the maximum limit of OSAP amount available for full-time students.

Eligibility criteria

To qualify for this grant, you must meet one of the following major requirements:

• You were in extended society care, and you are 21 to 24 years of age on the first day of the post-secondary program 
• You were in extended society care, adopted on or after August 1, 2013, and you are 18 to 24 years of age at the start of the post-secondary course.

Other eligibility factors are the same as the ones required to qualify for OSAP. 

How to apply

Applying for a Living and Learning Grant is fairly simple. While submitting the OSAP application, you must enclose proof of income and proof of being an ex-recipient of the extended support program. Please note that you can only submit application fee reimbursements for the academic year of 2020-21, 2021-22, or 2022-2023.

How much can I get?

If you are deemed eligible to receive this grant, you would be awarded $116.28 for every week of the full-time study period. The maximum grant amount is $6000 per school year and one can avail this grant for a maximum of four years. Please note that the grant amount you receive will not lower your OSAP grant and loan amounts that are allocated based on your financial needs.  

Application Fee Reimbursement Program

Apart from the financial assistance offered by this grant, students who were in extended society care can apply for reimbursement of application fees to post-secondary programs. To qualify for the application fee reimbursement program you must check the following boxes:

• You are an Ex-Ontario Crown ward or a former recipient of extended society care.
• You have no prior post-secondary degree, diploma or certificate.
• You have applied to OSAP-affiliated post-secondary programs.
• You have already paid the application fees for the post-secondary programs.

Please note that you can only submit application fee reimbursements for the academic year of 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022. To apply for this program, you must submit the application fee reimbursement form along with copies of the receipt for paying the application fees for OSAP-approved post-secondary courses. 

Other Ontario student aid programs

While OSAP is crucial for qualifying for the Living and Learning Grant, there are other provincial student aid programs that Ontario has to offer. Explore your provincial funding options by clicking on Ontario Student Scholarships and Ontario Student Bursaries.