Ontario Student Assistance Program for Students with Permanent Disabilities

Living with a permanent disability can be tough, but pursuing post-secondary education with permanent disability can be tougher if you don’t have the necessary funds to pay for college. Apart from financially assisting full-time, part-time, and micro-credential students respectively, Ontario offers some great student aid programs to help post-secondary students with permanent disabilities get back to school.

Ontario Student Assistance Program(OSAP) for Students with Permanent Disabilities provides provincial grants and loans to Ontarians with permanent disabilities studying post-secondary courses. According to OSAP for Students with Permanent Disabilities, an individual with permanent disability enrolled in 40% or more of the full-time course load deserves the same benefits as students receiving OSAP for full-time students. Before we further discuss this OSAP for students affected by permanent disability, you must understand what OSAP considers to be a permanent disability.

OSAP Definition for Permanent Disability

According to OSAP, an individual is considered to be permanently disabled if their physical or mental ailments hinder them, for the rest of their lives, from indulging in day-to-day tasks required for post-secondary studies or joining the workforce.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for OSAP for Students with Permanent Disability, you must fulfill these primary conditions:

• You must be a Canadian citizen/permanent resident/protected person living in Ontario.
• You must be able to prove your permanent disability.
• You must be registered with a post-secondary program at an OSAP participating school.
• You must study at least 40% or more of the full-time course load.
• You must require the financial assistance from the province to pursue post-secondary education

How to Apply

The application process for OSAP for Students with Permanent Disabilities is the same as for OSAP for Full-time Students. You will need to provide additional documents like medical certificates or a psycho-educational assessment as a proof of permanent disability.

To learn more about OSAP for Students with Permanent Disabilities such as its application process, post application steps, money offered, and repayment process, check out OSAP for Full-Time Students. 

Other Ontario Student Aid Programs

If OSAP for Students with Permanent Disabilities doesn’t fulfill your financial needs and you need further assistance, then you can apply for Bursary for Students with Disabilities. You can check out Ontario Student Scholarships, Bursaries, and Other Grants for Students in Special Circumstances.