Ontario Funding

Are you a prospective student from the land of Niagara Falls, four Great Lakes, Maple Leafs, and Raptors? Have your aspirations of post-secondary education turned into a distant dream by the reality of soaring college expenses? If you answered yes to both the questions, Ontario is here to help you get back to school with its umpteen student aid programs.

Apart from federal funding options to pay for higher education, the province of Ontario offers its students many provincial grants, loans, scholarships, and bursaries. If you are a resident of Ontario and identify as a student enrolled in a post-secondary education program, you can benefit from the following provincial student aid schemes:

Student Loans and Education Grants of Ontario

Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)

Popularly known as OSAP, the Ontario Student Assistance Program is the most sought-after provincial student aid provided by the Ontario government. It consists of grants and loans offered to Ontario students with financial needs to pay for tuition fees and other college-related expenses.OSAP funds full-time students, part-time students, students with permanent disabilities, and those who have enrolled in micro-credential programs. Click on the links below to know about eligibility details, maximum financial aid offered, repayment process, and more for each of the following OSAP categories:

OSAP for Full-time Students  

OSAP for Part-time Students

OSAP for Students Enrolled in Micro-Credential Programs

OSAP for Students with Permanent Disabilities

Better Jobs Ontario (Second Career)

Through the Better Jobs Ontario program, formerly known as Second Career, the government of Ontario has allocated financial aid to help fellow Ontarians who lost their jobs during the pandemic in acquiring new skills required to land an in-demand job role. The Second Career student aid covers tuition fees, books, living expenses of up to $500 per week, and transportation. Depending on your financial need and school-related costs, you may receive financial assistance of up to $28,000. Click here to find out more about Better Jobs Ontario.  Search for Colleges

Personal Support Worker Training Program

To help prepare students for roles in health and long-term care sector, the government of Ontario is offering financial aid to those who have enrolled for a Personal Support Worker program in any of the private career colleges in the province. Through this funding option, over 4,000 PSW students can avail up to $13,690 as financial aid that can be used to pay for tuition fees, books, and more. Click here to find out more about this funding.  Search for Colleges

Student Access Guarantee (SAG)

Student Access Guarantee ensures that students in Ontario have access to additional student aid on top of OSAP to pursue post-secondary education. Click here to learn more.

Ontario Student Scholarships

Not just the federal government, but even the government of Ontario acknowledges excellence in academics and research. That’s why Ontario offers post-secondary scholarships to a few deserving students based on merit. Two major scholarships that fall under Ontario Student Scholarships are Ontario Graduate Scholarship and Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology. Click on the links to know more about eligibility, selection criteria, scholarship money, etc. for each of these merit-based provincial scholarships:

• Ontario Graduate Scholarship
• Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology

Ontario Student Bursaries

The student aid provided by the province of Ontario also includes bursaries to elevate the financial burden of post-secondary students. Unlike scholarships, these bursaries are awarded to students based on their special needs and status. Ontario offers bursaries for students with permanent disabilities, deaf students, metis and indigenous students. Check out the links listed below to know more about the following Ontario bursaries:   

• Indigenous Student Bursary
• Metis Student Bursary Program
• Bursary for Students with Disabilities
• Ontario Out-of-Country Bursary for Deaf Students
• Ontario First Generation Bursary

Ontario Grants for Students with Special Circumstances

Other than the grants offered through OSAP, the government of Ontario offers a few special grants for students with special circumstances. These grants offer additional financial aid to students who are or were in social welfare as well as indigenous students. Some of the common grants that fall under this category include:

• Living and Learning Grant
• Ontario Indigenous Travel Grant   

Not sure if your school or the course you’re planning to take up is supported by Ontario provincial student aid programs? Get in touch with your college’s admissions counsellor to put all your doubts regarding federal and provincial funding to rest.

Call your guidance counsellor today!

Wish to learn more about federal funding? Read all about Federal Student Grants, Federal Student Loans, Federal Student Scholarships, and Federal Student Bursaries.

With plenty of Ontario provincial help at your service, cast aside your financial worries and set sail towards achieving your education qualification that would propel your career to great heights. So, Ontarians, have you picked your school yet?  Explore schools now!