What is OSAP?

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is an application-based government aid program for Ontario resident students. Based on the government's assessment of your educational costs and expected financial resources, OSAP offers a mixture of repayable loans and grants (money you will not need to repay).

The information on this site is aimed primarily at full-time York University degree students applying for OSAP aid, but we also have helpful information for certificate students, exchange students and non-degree students. The Student Financial Services site has information about part-time loans and grants.

For complete OSAP information and to apply online, go to the government's OSAP website.

Once you have visited the government's OSAP website, the eight steps outlined here provide you with more specific information to guide you through the OSAP cycle at York. We suggest you follow these steps in order, especially if this is the first time you are applying for OSAP.

Who is the NSLSC?

National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC)

NSLSC administers your OSAP loan. Once your loan has been authorized, the NSLSC disburses the funds, and once you are no longer a full-time student, your loan repayments will be made to them. You can set up an account with NSLSC to track your account. We encourage you to register online for one of NSLSC's regular loan repayment webinars.

NSLSC contact information:

The National Student Loan Service Centre
P.O. Box 4030
Mississauga, ON L5A 4M4
Phone 1-888-815-4514

OSAP eligibility for degree students

To apply for full-time OSAP aid, you must:

• register in full-time studies for the session (see also: calculating course load).
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or have protected person status; international students are ineligible.
• have Ontario residency, that is, have lived in Ontario for at least 12 consecutive months without attending full-time postsecondary school.
• register in an OSAP-approved degree program. Most degree programs at York are OSAP approved.
• be neither in default on a previous OSAP student loan nor on OSAP restriction.
• maintain satisfactory academic progress while receiving OSAP aid.
• have demonstrated financial need as calculated by the government. Gross family income as well as student resources and assets are taken into consideration.

Part-time Students

You are considered a part-time student if you are:

• Registered in 20 to 59 per cent of a full course load (3 to 8.5 credits per term); or
• Registered in 20 to 39 per cent of a full course load (3 to 5.5 credits per term) if you are a student with a permanent disability.