Ontario Out-of-Country Bursary for Deaf Students

The government of Ontario supports the right to higher education of every individual in the province, and people with hearing-related ailments are no different.

The Ontario Out-of-Country Bursary for Deaf Students is monetary assistance provided for post-secondary students with hearing impairments who are enrolled in a study program outside of Canada. A major requirement for availing this bursary is to attend an institution that uses the American Sign Language (ASL) or Langues de Signes Québécoises (Quebec Sign Language) as their primary or only language of instruction.

If you are a deaf student with dreams of studying abroad, Ontario Out-of-Country Bursary for Deaf Students might just be your golden ticket to turning those dreams into reality. Here’s all that you need to know about this Ontario Student Bursary program:

Purpose of Ontario Out-of-Country Bursary for Deaf Students

This bursary is meant to help you financially to cover a lot of expenses of studying abroad. It not only pays for your college tuition fees but also for other necessities of living abroad while studying. This provincial bursary program covers the cost of health insurance, ancillary fees, books, study supplements, return travel fare to Ontario, as well as living expenses on or off-campus during the course of your academic program.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for this bursary program, you must fulfill the following conditions:

• You must be a Canadian citizen living in Ontario who is permanently deaf, deafened or hard-of-listening.
• The course you apply for must be a post-secondary program at an educational establishment in any country but Canada.
• You must be accepted to a school approved by OSAP and you must study at least 40% or more of the full-time course load.

Your school and the program of your choice must utilize ASL or Quebec Sign Language as their primary tool of delivering instructions.

You must be deemed eligible to receive OSAP for Full-Time Students.

The outstanding expenses of your post-secondary education must be higher than the Canada-Ontario Integrated Student Loan (COISL) maximums.

How to apply

In order to apply for this bursary, you need to complete three major steps.

1. Fill out the application form and enclose supporting documents: Along with your application for the bursary program, you must provide the following documents:

• A medical certificate or audiological report to prove that you have a permanent hearing impairment.
• A proof of other expenses while studying abroad including the cost for stay, food, travel, and day-to-day living expenses.
• Expenses for Out-Of-Country health insurance.

2. Submit to the Student Financial Assistance Branch: Once you have filled out the application and gathered all supporting documents, submit the application to the Student Financial Assistance Branch of Ontario.

3. Adhere to deadlines: Your application must be received by the authorities a minimum of 60 days before the completion of your study period in an academic year. However, the Student Financial Assistance Branch is open to receiving all necessary documents along with review requests up to 40 days before the end of your study period in a school year. All the documents, applications, and review requests received after the aforementioned deadlines will be rejected immediately.

Things to do after applying

Your responsibility doesn’t end after submitting the application as there are a couple of things that you need to do after applying:

1. Check application status: Stay in touch with the Student Financial Assistance Branch to get constant updates on your application status. This would ensure that you don’t miss out on important communications from the authorities such as requests for additional proofs.

2. Keep an eye out for factors having a negative impact on your financial aid: If you wish to receive the benefits of Ontario Out-of-Country Bursary for Deaf Students, then you should beware of three instances that can severely impact your student aid:

• You study less than 40% of full-time course load.
• You discontinue the course during the study period for which you applied for the bursary.
• You become ineligible for OSAP for Full-Time Students.

How much can I get?

Unlike some grants and scholarships, Ontario Out-of-Country Bursary for Deaf Students doesn’t have a defined maximum amount of financial assistance. The money you might receive through this bursary is calculated based on your living expenses, tuition fees, book cost, health insurance cost, travel fare for return to Ontario, and the amount of student aid provided by OSAP for Full-Time Students.

The aid is provided in the form of a cheque and the amount will be released only after OSAP receives a confirmation of your enrolment by your school. You will most likely receive the amount in two to three installments at the beginning of each semester or term, depending on the duration of your program.

Other Ontario Student Aid Programs

For those who do not qualify for this Ontario Student Bursary, your aspirations of post-secondary education can still be supported by the Ontario Government through a multitude of other student aid programs such as OSAP, Bursaries, and Other Grants for Students in Special Circumstances.