Ontario Indigenous Travel Grant

Indigenous people are an integral part of Canada’s rich and diverse culture. Thus, it is the responsibility of the provincial government to handle the welfare of Indigenous people living in Ontario.

To encourage Indigenous students in pursuing post-secondary education, the government of Ontario offers exciting financial aid programs such as provincial bursaries for students from Inuit and Metis Nation communities. Apart from paying for college and living expenses, the Ontario government acknowledges the difficulty in travel between remote Indigenous communities and elite post-secondary schools. That’s why the province provides the Ontario Indigenous Travel Grant to First Nations students residing in remote areas. 

The Ontario Indigenous Travel Grant offers financial aid to post-secondary Indigenous students to cover the expenses borne by the student while travelling between remote Aboriginal communities and the post-secondary college where he/she studies. This special grant not only pays for the Indigenous student’s travel expenses but also assigns monetary assistance for the travel of spouse and children.

Eligibility criteria

To get his grant, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be an Indigenous person living in Ontario.
• You must be attending an OSAP-approved public or private post-secondary school in Ontario. You can also apply for this grant if you are enrolled in an OSAP-affiliated public post-secondary school in another province. 
• You must have a provincial funding need of at least $1 as per the OSAP assessment.
• You must live in a remote First Nations community that is either at least 350 km away from the nearest service centre or doesn’t have year-long road access to a service centre. 
• You can only apply for reimbursement of your spouse and children’s travel expenses if they stay with you while you continue post-secondary education.

How to apply

To apply for the Ontario Indigenous Travel Grant, you must submit a completed application form no later than 60 days before the end of the study period in a school year. You must also provide proof of travel documents such as air tickets no later than 60 days after the end of the study period. To know more about the application process and deadlines, please contact your school’s counsellor.

Next Step? Contact a career counsellor at a registered college or university approved for OSAP to know more details about supporting documents required to avail an Indigenous Travel Grant.

How much money you can get

The grant amount allocated to you depends on the number of family members travelled, the frequency of travel between the remote location and post-secondary school, and the mode of travel.   

Travel by flight

If you travelled alone by flight, you are entitled to a grant amount of $1300 for a one-way trip. In an academic year, you can claim four one-way trips with a maximum grant amount of $5200.

If you travelled by flight with spouse and children, then you are entitled to a grant amount of $2600 per person with a maximum of two one-way trips per academic year.

Other travel methods

If you travelled alone by train, bus, boat, taxi or ride-sharing service, you can get a grant amount of $75 per one-way trip. In a school year, you can take four one-way trips with the maximum grant amount of $300.

If you took a train, bus, boat, taxi, or ride-sharing service while travelling with spouse and children, you can claim a grant amount of $150 per person with a maximum of two one-way trips per academic year.  

Travel by private vehicle

Whether you travel alone or with family in a private vehicle, you can get a grant amount of $0.41 per kilometre travelled.There are no restrictions on the number of one-way trips per academic year for this mode of travel.

Other Ontario Student Aid Programs

Wondering what other provincial funding initiatives are in place for Indigenous students? Check out Ontario Student Bursaries, Ontario Student Scholarships, and OSAP to learn more about provincial student aid options.