How do I pay for postsecondary education and training?


Most students have concerns about paying for tuition, books and other school expenses. As a youth with Crown ward status, you may have specific financial challenges, such as a lack of family support, or having support that ends before you’ve finished your studies.

There are two major ways to obtain financial support: you can borrow, and you can apply for bursaries, grants and scholarships. Learn more about these ways of financing your education.

OSAP

In Ontario, the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) offers both loans (which must be repaid) and bursaries, scholarships and grants (which aren’t repayable).

You can also get more information from the financial aid office of your Ontario college or university.

If you are studying outside Ontario, contact:

MTCU Student Support Branch,
P.O. Box 4500, 189 Red River Road, 4th Floor,
Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 6G9
or call 1-807-343-7260

Crown wards and the Ontario Student Assistance Application Program (OSAP)

The OSAP website and application form have specific information on options for Crown wards.

When you fill out your OSAP Application for Full-time Students, you’re asked to select the choice that best describes your status. To ensure your costs are assessed correctly, read the statements in the "Current Status Information" section and select the first one that you come to that describes your current situation. You can check only one statement. Select “I am a current Crown ward or I was a Crown ward at the time of my eighteenth birthday” only if none of the other options describe your status.

You will also be able to indicate that you were a Crown ward, in the “Grants and Scholarships” section of the application.

If you have savings from the Ontario Child Benefit Equivalent program, you are not required to report those savings as assets or income on your OSAP application.

If you receive Extended Care and Maintenance (ongoing support from a children’s aid society), you’ll have to report this income on your OSAP application.

Also, you’ll need to report any bursaries or scholarships you receive from children’s aid societies or foundations or other agencies.

You may ask to have up to $3,500 of eligible bursaries and scholarships exempted from your OSAP assessment. For more information on this exemption, contact the financial aid office of the institution you are applying to.

You may apply for an Ontario Access Grant for Crown Wards in the “Grants and Scholarships" section of the OSAP application. This grant helps with tuition costs. Be sure to answer “yes” in the sections that asks if you were ever a Crown ward. Later, you’ll be asked to submit a letter from your children’s aid society, confirming you have or had Crown wardship status.

How loans differ from bursaries, grants and scholarships

While you have to repay loans, you generally don’t have to repay grants, bursaries and scholarships. See Non-Repayable Financial Assistance for more information.

Most universities and colleges offer their own bursaries, scholarships and other forms of assistance. For more information, visit the university or college website or get in touch with the financial aid office at the institution you plan to attend.

Another way to help pay for your education is to work part-time during your studies. The Ontario Work Study Program helps students pay for their postsecondary education costs by working part-time during the year.

Many local children’s aids societies offer bursaries and awards, as does the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies.

For more information on scholarships, go to the National Youth In Care  website.

Also check out YouthCAN, the Ontario Youth Communication and Advocacy Network.

As a youth with Crown wardship status, you may be eligible for a refund on your postsecondary application fee through the Ontario Crown Ward Postsecondary Application Fee Reimbursement Program.

Apprentices may qualify for financial assistance for tools and training.