Personal Support Worker Training Program

Are you an Ontarian with dreams of a career as a Personal Support Worker (PSW) in the healthcare sector? We’ve got news for you! The Government of Ontario has relaunched its Personal Support Worker Training Program to help students like you meet your goals. 

Launched in 2021, the program initially awarded $84 million to cover the education cost of 8,000 PSW students. After helping 3,000 students graduate as PSWs in 2021,  this year, the revised program has an allocated fund of $54.7 million. In 2022, the program is expected to provide financial aid to over 4,000 students and is all set to increase the amount of funding each student can receive.

The financial aid allocated to you by this program can be used to cover your tuition fee, books, among other fees. There is also a provision for stipend for clinical work placement. Let’s delve into the details to get a clearer picture of what’s in store!

Eligibility Criteria 

To avail the benefits of this program, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• You must be a Canadian citizen; or a Permanent Resident; or an individual who qualifies as a Protected Person.
• You must be a resident of Ontario.
• You must qualify for the Ontario Student Assistance Program or OSAP.
• You also need to be enrolled in a Personal Support Worker Training program at a private career college approved by the OSAP.
• You must enroll between 1st June and 30th September, 2022 in order to receive your funding.

How to Apply

To seek funding from this program, you simply need to apply for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) while filling out the application for PSW training at a private career college of your choice. Doing so will automatically process your application for financial assistance under this program. 

You’ll find the necessary steps to apply for OSAP here. Please ensure you have all the relevant documents you need while applying, including your/your parents’/spouse’s tax information and income tax returns to prove financial need for assistance. 

How much can you get? 

Here’s where the good news is. In the previous year (2021), you could get funding of up to $13,235 per student under the Personal Support Workers Training program. However, this year, the amount of funding you can receive has been increased to up to $13,690 per student. You can use this funding to cover a host of expenses – ranging from your books and tuition fees to any other mandatory fee.

Note – The provincial government has committed to spend $200 million on this program to train 16,200 PSWs in the coming years. Just last year, the program resulted in the successful completion of the training of 3,000 PSWs. What’s more, when it comes to job openings, the figures have quadrupled over the last 5 years, with as many 5,000 job postings in 2021. 

Other Ontario Student Aid Programs 

Afraid you do not fulfill the eligibility criteria to receive financial aid from the Personal Support Worker Training Program? Don’t worry, you’re not out of options. You can take your pick from a host of funding programs to speed up your educational and career goals. These include OSAP for Full-time Students, OSAP for Part-time Students, Better Jobs Ontario Program, Ontario Graduate Scholarships and more.