Ontario Student Assistance Program

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) (French: Régime d'aide financière aux étudiantes et étudiants de l'Ontario (RAFEO)) is a provincial financial aid program that offers grants and loans to help Ontario students pay for their post-secondary education.

In 2016, the Ontario government announced changes to OSAP that aimed to make post-secondary education more affordable for lower income families.

[2][3] In 2019, the Ontario government announced cuts to OSAP in conjunction with a 10 percent reduction in post-secondary tuition fees.

The protests were largely successful and, in 1967, the province removed questions about parental debt, insurance and mortgages, the need assessment was amended to exempt some income, and students were considered independent after three years of studies.

"[11] At the time, Ontario student aid did not have any up-front grants, though it had a long-standing loan remission policy through the Ontario Student Opportunity Grant (OSOG) which capped total loans (federal and provincial) at $7,000 per year (maximum aid was $9,350).

[17] In the October 2011 election, the Liberals were re-elected with a minority government on the signature platform commitment to "support all middle-class Ontario families with a 30% across-the-board post-secondary undergraduate tuition grant.

It also included a commitment to keep OSOG debt cap at $7,300 and added an additional six-month grace period for graduates who work in the not-for-profit sector.

[20] The Liberals were re-elected to a majority government in 2014 under Kathleen Wynne with its only post-secondary platform commitment being to continue the 30% Off Ontario Tuition grant.

As a result, a number of reviews have been developed to allow students to provide additional information regarding their specific circumstances.

For the first 6 months after graduation, finishing studies, or no longer being a full-time college or university student: This is a 6-month grace period.

One-Year OSAP Grace Period for Not-for Profit Employees: for borrowers working at an eligible not-for-profit organization in Ontario.